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Waterbird Population Estimates, 4th edition
Delany, S. & Scott, D. (eds). Wetlands International, Wageningen, the Netherlands,
2006. STG£25. ISBN 90-5882-031-9, Softback, 239pp.
This edition of Waterbird Population Estimates, represents the fourth in the series, and presents a
monumental review on the status and distribution of 878
waterbird species, comprising 2,305 populations within
33 families. The introductory sections present the objectives of the publication and details on the Ramsar
Convention, the latter which forms the main framework
for the rationale for regular updated reviews of waterbird
population estimates and 1% thresholds. Wetlands
International plans to continue reviewing these estimates
on a three-year cycle.
The editors highlight that there are significant
knowledge gaps, with respect to the present status, distribution and flyway extent of several waterbird
populations. Yet despite these constraints, they still
managed to draw information from over 500 sources.
An overview section clearly summarises the present
status of waterbirds by Ramsar region and by family
group. Comparisons with previous editions are presented
in the form of numerous tables and graphs, which
demonstrate improvements in our knowledge-base, and
changes in both the taxonomy and status of a number of
waterbird populations.
The species accounts comprise the core of this
publication, and a section on ‘How to use this book’
provides clear and concise details on interpretive issues.
The species are presented in Voous order. Their conservation status is readily identified by the colour of the
header, with four colours used to describe status from
‘extinct’ through to ‘not known to have unfavourable
conservation status’. Maps which have been generously
provided by the Handbook of the Birds of the World are
presented for each species to assist in identifying the
boundaries of waterbird subspecies and populations
breeding and wintering ranges. These distributions are
also briefly described, and where known, an estimate (or
population range), 1% threshold, and trend are provided,
also indicating in each case the information sources used.
A Notes column provides additional explanatory notes on
Irish Birds 8 (2007)
taxonomy and/ or derivation of population estimates. For
each species, all subspecies and/or populations are
described.
The format of this publication is consistent with the
previous (third) edition, which is useful for making
comparisons between the two editions. It benefits from a
number of recent publications, and highlights 18 new
sources which have significantly advanced the results.
Most of the wader population estimates have been
revised, some quite significantly, due to the incorporation of extensive reviews of wader populations by
Stroud et al. (2004), and more recently Davidson and
Stroud (in prep.), i.e. there has been much rethinking
about the origins of various populations, such that the
changes in the estimates from this publication compared
with the previous edition do not necessarily reflect
trends. Despite this, most of the wader populations
which occur in Ireland during the winter are in decline.
This edition is beautifully illustrated with
photographs of several waterbird species presented
throughout. Wetlands International intend on eventually
presenting this information in an interactive manner on
the internet. Species accounts provide information which
is useful for assessing the importance of wetland sites
worldwide. This book is essential for anyone involved in
studying waterbird populations. The clear and consistent
manner in which the text is presented and maps are
displayed allows the reader to quickly ascertain the status
of any waterbird species or population.
Reference
Stroud, D.A., Davidson, N.C., West, R., Scott, D.A., Haanstra, L.,
Thorup, O., Ganter, B. & Delany, S. (compilers). 2004. The status of
migratory wader populations in Africa and Western Eurasia in the
1990s. International Wader Studies 15: 1-259.
Olivia Crowe, I-WeBS Office, BirdWatch Ireland
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Raptors: a Field Guide to Survey and Monitoring
Hardy, J., Crick, H., Wernham, C., Riley, H., Etheridge, B. & Thompson, D. The
Stationery Office, Edinburgh, 2006. STG£14.99. ISBN 0-11-497321-0, Hardback, 300 pp
plus CD of vocalisations.
Throughout most of the last century Ireland had the
unenviable ranking of being one of the most impoverished countries in Europe in terms of its raptor avifauna.
Beginning in the eighteenth century, an incessant
campaign of persecution by means of trapping, shooting
and poisoning wrought widespread destruction and
decimation of the island’s raptors, particularly the larger
species. By the early decades of the twentieth century,
we had lost Red Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier,
Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Osprey and
perhaps other species also. Ireland holds the dubious
honour of being the only country in the world to have
lost its population of Golden Eagles in recent times.
Thankfully, since the publication of this book in 2006,
Golden Eagles have bred successfully in County Donegal
for the first time in nearly one hundred years following
reintroduction; Red Kites can now be seen in County
Wicklow and White-tailed Eagles once again soar in the
skies of County Kerry. It is a good time to have an
interest in raptors in Ireland as the Buzzard re-colonises
the island at an ever-increasing pace and Peregrines are
probably more common now than at any time in the past.
The publication of this book has been most opportune as
it comes at a time when medium and large raptors are
once again returning to the skies of Ireland. The need for
raptor surveying and monitoring has never been greater
given the incredible rate of development experienced in
this country over the past decade. Notwithstanding, there
are huge gaps in our knowledge of most species apart
from Hen Harrier, Peregrine and Barn Owl.
The book is primarily the result of several years of
hard work by the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme, yet
there has been a noticeable Irish contribution both north
and south of the border and this is evident in the
‘Acknowledgements’ section which is a veritable ‘who’s
who’ of British and Irish raptor experts.
The book is written in two parts. Part 1 includes an
introductory chapter that explains the work of the Raptor
Study Groups and subsequent chapters deal with survey
and monitoring methods, population estimates, general
breeding season parameters, tagging and tracking etc.
Chapter 7, ‘Good practice for fieldwork’ outlines the
legalities involved in the more serious study of raptor
species but also helps to reinforce more uniform, bestpractice methods and provides many useful guidelines.
Part 2 of the book deals with the individual species
accounts and twenty-one species of birds of prey and
owls (plus the Raven, a useful ‘barometer’ bird and
‘honorary raptor’) are dealt with in detail. Each species is
given a brief introduction that is followed by a very useful
‘Annual cycle’ table which gives a summary of breeding
biology. Habitat, home ranges, nests and breeding
biology are then dealt with in greater detail followed by a
comprehensive section on survey and monitoring
techniques applicable to each species.
The information is delivered in a clear, succinct and
readable style. Over 300 raptor specialists, (ecologists and
fieldworkers) were consulted in the preparation of this
book and in several cases, the reader is presented with
new and previously unpublished material. There is a very
useful glossary of terms and abbreviations used in the
book and the thirty pages of references provide an
incredibly detailed source of information for those intent
on delving deeper into the study of raptors.
The book even includes a very useful vocalisation
Compact Disc, which after a brief introduction for each
species gives the full range of calls of males, females and
juveniles in a variety of circumstances and situations.
This groundbreaking work has already become an
indispensable source of reference to raptor enthusiasts
throughout Britain and Ireland and I can wholeheartedly
recommend it to anyone who has an interest in meateating birds!
Tony Nagle, Irish Raptor Study Group
A Guide to … Wildlife in Waterford City
Declan McGrath. Privately Published, Waterford, 2006. 20 euro. ISBN 0-9541-062-1-0,
Softback, 279 pp.
This book is incredible on many accounts. Firstly, I doubt
many people have researched the wildlife of their local
town or city as has this author. Secondly, I suspect that
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rather few know quite so much about such a wide variety
of wildlife, from the more appealing mammals and birds
to rare plants to fungi, lichens etc. to less well known
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invertebrates. The sheer breadth of the author’s
knowledge is awe inspiring. Finally, I would imagine that
the vast majority of folk have no idea that so much
wildlife lurks, oft unseen, in and near Waterford City.
Patience and dedication are needed to observe much of
it. So, what is in this book?
In the introduction, the author explains the two-fold
purpose of the book: “it is an accessible account of the
wildlife” and “it also presents a plea for more and better
green spaces in Waterford to make the City a better place
to live in for its growing population”. Chapter 2 discusses
the climate, tides and geology (tides influence Waterford
City greatly as it is located on the banks of the River Suir).
The major important habitats are presented at length in
Chapter 3, where detailed information on plants
(including trees and flowers), fungi, lichens and mosses,
birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates is provided for a
wide variety of sites. Of necessity, every species cannot
be discussed for each and every site. The next four
chapters detail the birds, other fauna, flora and trees of
Waterford City. This inevitably repeats some of the information presented in the habitats chapter, but does mean
that readers can use the book either to find out what
wildlife there is to see in a particular area or where to find
a particular species of bird or type of tree, etc. Is there
any large tree in Waterford City that the author does not
personally know? The information could have been
presented purely in lists of what to find where, but
instead the author chose to write at more length with the
rather pleasing result that the text is peppered with a
host of interesting snippets of information, such as life
cycles of eels, salmon and trout, spiders and other invertebrates, just to mention a few. (On a purely personal
note, I was delighted to read of trees that I knew and
loved in my childhood and to be taken back to well
trodden haunts.) Clearly, in either the habitat or flora and
fauna accounts, the list of species occurring cannot be
exhaustive, but the reader does come away with a pretty
good idea of where to look for and find ‘nature’. Learning
to use their eyes as does the author surely must be the
reader’s next challenge!
Chapter 8, on conservation issues and the future is,
for me, one of the most outstanding and far-sighted
accounts that I have read in a popular publication. Some
of the issues discussed could – and should – be applied
to any and every built up area. We all need more green
spaces. With a modest budget and a modicum of
common sense, so much could be achieved to improve
the environment for (a) people and (b) wildlife. Wouldn’t
it be wonderful if every person in a built up area, as
suggested by English Nature, lived within 300m of a
greenspace no matter how small, within 2 km of a 20 ha
greenspace, within 5 km of a 100 ha greenspace and
within 10 km of a 500 ha greenspace. That would
certainly improve the average quality of life for town and
city dwellers. Many good ideas lurk in various planning
policies but, sadly, few are implemented. There are too
many issues in this chapter to discuss in a review – better
instead that you read the book. Indeed, perhaps every
county councillor and town planner in the country
should get a copy, just to read this chapter alone.
In a work of this size, there must inevitably be a few
criticisms. The most important could be remedied quite
easily and that would be to provide a more comprehensive map and to label all (or more) areas referred to
in the text. For those who know Waterford City well, the
present maps may not detract from the book, but for the
casual visitor or indeed an ardent nature lover retracing
some of the author’s steps, it is a necessity in the next
edition (I’m hoping here that there will be one). Also,
stiffer proof-reading would be an asset as the text was
reasonably well littered with typographic errors, albeit
mainly minor ones.
My overall recommendation to anyone who is interested in the nature of Waterford City, or in trying to
influence local planning, is to go out and buy a copy.
Anne Newton, Waterford native in exile
Migrating Raptors of the World: their Ecology and Conservation
Bildstein, K.L. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 2006. STG£19.95
ISBN 0-8014-4179-X, Hardback, 320 pp.
Most recent books on raptors, excluding identification
guides, have either been species monographs or
conference proceedings. The latter are not necessarily
thematic so it is a pleasant change to see a book
published on one aspect of raptor ecology. If you cast
your mind back, there are actually rather few works that
fall into this category – Ian Newton’s ‘Population Ecology
Irish Birds 8 (2007)
of Raptors’ is certainly the most seminal one but it was
published in 1979!
‘Migration’ and ‘raptors’ are two words that are
rarely mentioned in the same sentence by Irish raptor
enthusiasts. We have just about the lowest raptor species
richness in Europe and we tend to think they are mostly
sedentary; that said, there is actually quite a bit of ‘local’
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movement – female Merlins moving down to the coast in
winter, many Peregrines and Hen Harriers likewise. In
some cases a few, but unknown proportion, of such
individuals may have come from other countries to the
north and be true migrants. However, many Irish
ornithologists and birders are/will be drawn in to making
a pilgrimage to one of the classic European or Middle
Eastern raptor migration hotspots at some point in their
career.
Clearly, Keith Bildstein’s book is not going to
mention Ireland much, if at all, but it does explain in a
highly readable way what goes on at the likes of
Falsterbo, Gibraltar and Elat, and more to the point ‘why’.
This comprehensive review comprises ten main chapters:
the phenomenon, origin and evolution, history of raptor
migration studies, flight strategies, orientation and
navigation, ecology, migration geography, life histories,
great hawkwatches and finally species protection. Each
chapter finishes with a succinct page or so of ‘Synthesis
and Conclusions’ – something I really like to see in a
reference book. It also includes a useful glossary of
‘technical terms’ – those covered are handily identified in
italics in the main text. The 24 pages of references, some
dated 2005, show that the book it is up to date given it
was published in October 2006. The ordering of chapters
is such that a logical route is taken through the detail of
evolutionary and ecological aspects of raptor migration as
well as flight ‘mechanics’ and migration tactics/strategies.
The story of how the shape of continents with respect to
seas and the geographical orientation of mountain ranges
‘steers’ the flow of raptors during these incredible migrations is fascinating and as close to ‘gripping’ as you can
get in a behavioural ecology textbook! Although the
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selection of species covered (Turkey Vulture, Osprey,
Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier,
Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, Amur Falcon) in the
life history chapter seems rather restricted, the detail on
other classic long-distance migrants, e.g. Broad-winged
Hawks, Lesser Spotted Eagles, is well covered in other
chapters.
Errors, yes there are a few, and they tend to be in
sections on Old World species which we presume the
American author would be less familiar with and have
slipped through the final edit. For example, on page 177
with respect to the Western Honey Buzzard we read “in
the species’ West African breeding grounds”, and on page
185 the Steppe Buzzard’s breeding range extends from
the Arctic Circle in eastern Scandinavia west into the
mountains and steppes of central Asia! The great
hawkwatches chapter covers 12 sites which are
somewhat biased to the Nearctic: 6 in the USA, 2 in
Central America, 3 in Europe and one in the Middle East
and within these accounts I also found the subsections
on ‘migration specifics’ rather heavy going as blocks of
text with highest counts, maxima etc. Surely, such
statistics are better presented in tables and the latter are
much easier to compare with one another?
Overall, I enjoyed this book and it really gave me a
much better understanding of how migratory raptors
cover such vast distances, usually in diurnal flights, not
once but twice during their annual cycle! I hope many
raptor enthusiasts will find the time and opportunity to
read it.
Stephen Newton, BirdWatch Ireland & Irish Raptor Study
Group
Irish Birds 8 (2007)