Electrocution on power lines is one of the principal problems facing raptors and other medium- and large-sized birds at the global scale. The recent European-based Spanish state legislation on avian electrocutions has focused on Special Protection Areas (SPA). Here we evaluate whether this policy has been successful, using the Community of Valencia, Spain, as a regional model. We compiled a database of 400 electrocution events from information on electrocuted birds taken into Wildlife Recovery Centres and incidents registered by the main local power company during the last decade. A small proportion (c.18%) of electrocution casualties occurred within SPA boundaries but the 5 km wide belt immediately surrounding the SPAs produced more than three times the number of avian electrocutions (c.60% of the total recorded). This was probably caused by higher densities of both power lines and susceptible birds, and higher use of the pylons for perching and roosting in the areas surrounding the SPAs. We therefore conclude that the focus on preventative measures being applied within SPAs is inefficient and that action should be targeted in these peripheral areas. Our results illustrate a classic problem of an edge effect associated with a protected area, where external human influences directly affect the persistence of protected species within reserves. Equally, they support the idea that management strategies within parks cannot be independent of the human activities surrounding them.

Human-wildlife conflicts are often partly due to biased human perceptions about the real damage caused by wildlife. While Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus are obligate scavengers, 156 complaint reports about vultures attacking livestock were officially recorded over eight years (2007–2014) in France. We investigated whether this conflict could be explained by a change in vulture behaviour, or by a biased perception by farmers. If vultures became predators, as a consequence of density-dependent processes, we predicted that reports would concern mostly ante-mortem consumption of healthy livestock and would be temporally and spatially correlated to vulture population size and space use. Under the hypothesis of perception bias of farmers, we predicted that reports would concern mostly post-mortem consumption, and would be more numerous in areas where farmers are less familiar with vultures and where herds are less attended by shepherds. The spatio-temporal distribution of reports was not correlated with the vulture’s population trend and was not centred on the core area of vulture home range. In 67% of reports, vultures consumed post-mortem an animal that had died for other reasons. In 18% of reports, vultures consumed ante-mortem an animal that was immobile and close to death before vulture arrival. The fact that 90% of complaining farmers did not own vulture supplementary feeding stations and that 40% of these farms were located outside protected areas (where most education programmes take place) suggests that most farmers had little familiarity or personal knowledge of vultures. There was no shepherd witness present in 95% of the reports. Therefore, the hypothesis of a perception bias due to lack of knowledge was most likely to explain this vulture-livestock conflict rather than the hypothesis of a recent change in vulture feeding behaviour. Environmental education should be better included in conservation programmes and enhanced in areas where vultures are expanding to recolonise their former distribution range.

Alpha taxonomy involves delineation of the basic unit of biology: the species. The concepts by which we define species, however, have been controversial, with several alternatives competing at present, some creating fewer and some more species units, depending on interpretation of species limits. Although it is tempting to assume that species concepts would have little interaction with the geographic foci of species richness and endemism — and some have so argued — this assumption does not withstand careful analysis. In this paper, I develop a first-pass assessment of Philippine bird taxonomy under an alternative species concept, and compare the results with the traditional biological species concept lists. Differences between the two lists were dramatic, but not just in numbers of species; rather, new, previously unrecognized or previously underappreciated foci of endemism were noted. A thorough understanding of the taxonomic basis of species lists is therefore critical to conservation planning.

The avifauna of a pristine lowland Atlantic forest in south-east Brazil was studied over 2 years. A total of 234 species was recorded, of which 190 species (81.54%) occured in forested habitats. Thirty one species are listed as threatened or near-threatened and information on habitat and abundance is described for each species. The Parque Estadual Intervales holds one of the last pristine lowland Atlantic forests and it is one of the few reserves that encompasses a large altitudinal gradient. In the past few years the protection of the reserve has been threatened by palm harvesting, hunting, dams and mining.

A avifauna de uma regiao de Mata Atlântica de baixada no sudeste do estado de São Paulo foi estudada por um periodo continuo de 2 anos. Foram observados um total de 234 espécies de aves sendo que 190 espécies (81,54%) ocorreram predominantemente em ambientes florestais primários e perrubados. Trinta e uma espécies São consideradas ameaçadas ou vulneráveis e informações sobre hábitat e abundância são fornecidas. Nos últimos anos a proteção da reserva está ameaçada pelo corte do palmito, caça, construções de hidroéletricas e mineração.

Powerlines may pose severe threats to bird populations. We assessed the significance of powerlines as a source of avian mortality within the Italian electric transmission and distribution system. We reviewed data from 11 mortality censuses and compiled a list of species that were found among powerline victims in Italy, based on over 1,300 reported individual casualties. Overall, 95 species of birds were reported among powerline victims (19% of Italy's total species). The number of recorded species was compared with the number of species in the Italian list, after grouping species based on morphology and ecology. Some groups (e.g. raptors, herons, storks and allies) were highly affected, while others (e.g. passerines and allies) appeared to be poorly represented among species involved in powerline accidents. Furthermore, we evaluated the validity of a published discriminant model for the classification of bird species as collision or electrocution victims according to body measurements. The application of the available model classified 54.7–73.5% of Italian species correctly (depending on the species included), compared with 88.6% of the original dataset. Two new discriminant models based on Italian powerline casualties classified 80.9–81.1% of species correctly. This approach can be a useful tool in assessing collision and electrocution risk for species in different geographical areas. While we recognize the need for a general preventive approach for reducing the bird–powerline conflict, our review highlights once more the importance of local situations, where powerlines may have a strong impact on avian communities.

We report a large number of raptors electrocuted on recently erected electricity distribution lines in the open landscapes of the Mongolian steppe and Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, China. Upland Buzzards Buteo hemilasius and Saker Falcons Falco cherrug, characteristic raptors of these bioregions, were among those found to be electrocuted. Raptor electrocution was a consequence of poorly designed hardware configurations on anchor poles along surveyed lines on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and, additionally, on line poles in the Mongolian steppe. The design flaws were upright pin-insulators on earthed crossarms and the use of jump wires that passed over crossarms via pin insulators on anchor poles. Targeted mitigation of anchor poles could significantly reduce the incidence of electrocution on the lines surveyed on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, whilst all poles on the lines surveyed in the Mongolian steppe require remediation to make them safe for raptors. The Mongolian steppe and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are bioregions that hold the largest breeding and wintering populations of the globally threatened Saker Falcon. The existing and growing network of dangerous electricity distribution lines in these regions may potentially impact the Saker Falcon population, thus we suggest that preventative and/or mitigation measures are implemented.

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica and Great Knots Calidris tenuirostris are long-distance migratory shorebirds with declining numbers in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. One of the most important staging sites for these two species during northward migration is Yalu Jiang coastal wetland in the north Yellow Sea. Historical counts have been limited to once a year and conducted at different periods; these yield inadequate data for population monitoring. We estimated the numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits and Great Knots and described their migration phenology during northward migration from 2010 to 2012 at the Yalu Jiang coastal wetland, using a combination of periodic area-wide counts over the migration period and a modelling approach that estimates passage times and total numbers of birds transiting. The mean arrival date for L. l. baueri godwits was 29 March and mean departure date was 8 May. Corresponding dates were 11 April and 15 May for L. l. menzbieri godwits and 7 April and 14 May for Great Knots. We estimated that an annual average of over 68,000 Bar-tailed Godwits and 44,000 Great Knots used the area on northward migration from 2010–2012. Our results indicate that the Yalu Jiang coastal wetland supports on average at least 42% of the flyway’s northward-migrating L. l. baueri godwits, 19% of L. l. menzbieri godwits, and 22% of the Great Knots. Comparisons with historical counts conducted during peak migration periods indicate a 13% decline in Bar-tailed Godwits since 2004 and an 18% decline in Great Knots since 1999. Our results confirm that the study area remains the most important northward migration staging site for Bar-tailed Godwits and indicate that it has become the most important northward migration staging site for Great Knots along the flyway.

Little is known about the contribution of different forest types to the beta-diversity, abundance and biomass of the avifauna in lowland Amazonia. This paper presents data on the large-bodied bird assemblages of adjacent upland (terra firme) and seasonally flooded (várzea and igapó) forests in the lower Rio Purús region of central-western Brazilian Amazonia. We focus our analysis on 23 large-bodied canopy and terrestrial bird species from 10 families, on the basis of 2,044 bird sightings obtained during line-transect censuses conducted over a two-year period. Large toucans comprised the most numerically abundant large birds in terra firme and igapó forests, whereas macaws were the most abundant in nutrient-rich várzea forests that were seasonally inundated by white-water. The aggregate population density of all bird species in terra firme forest was slightly higher than that in várzea forest. Igapó forest, which was seasonally inundated by black-water, sustained the lowest population densities. Terra firme and várzea forests differed considerably in species composition and abundance whereas igapó forest shared many species with both terra firme and várzea. Our results suggest that Amazonian floodplain forests play a major role in the persistence and community dynamics of the large-bodied forest birds.

Pouco se sabe sobre a contribuição de diferentes tipos de florestas aos padrões de beta-diversidade, abundância e biomassa da avifauna na região amazônica. Este artigo apresenta dados à respeito das aves de médio a grande porte em florestas de terra firme e florestas adjacentes sujeitas a inundação sazonal (várzea e igapó) na região do baixo Rio Purús da Amazonia centro-ocidental. Nossa análise, baseada num total de 2,044 observações obtidas durante censos ao longo de transectos, foi direcionada a 23 espécies de aves de médio a grande porte pertencentes a 10 famílias. As aves mais abundantes em florestas de terra firme e igapó foram os tucanos, e as araras as mais abundantes em florestas de várzea. A densidade de população agregada de todas as espécies na terra firme foi ligeiramente mais elevada do que na várzea. A floresta de igapó sustentaram as mais baixas densidades populacionais. Terra firme e várzea diferem consideravelmente na composição e abundância de espécies, visto que a avifauna do igapó é intermediária entre a da terra firme e a da várzea. Os resultados sugerem que as florestas inundáveis tem uma papel muito importante na manutenção das comunidades de aves de grande porte na Amazônia, e pricipalmente aquelas espécies que usam grandes mosaicos de floresta.

The Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus is globally threatened with an estimated world population of 25,000–28,000, of which c 20,000 winter at East Dongting Lake, China. We present here the first collation of published and unpublished data on the distribution and abundance of the species in eastern China in recent decades. Lesser White-fronted Goose numbers have declined greatly in Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu Provinces between the late-1980s/early-1990s and recent years: the species’ range has now mainly contracted to East Dongting Lake in Hunan. The relatively stable numbers at East Dongting Lake suggest that the population is not currently threatened, but the extreme concentration at one lake makes the species vulnerable. Lesser White-fronted Geese rely on very specific meadow vegetation exposed after water recession, so changes in water levels or recession timing, due to hydrological changes following the commissioning of the Three Gorges Dam, may affect biomass, palatability and plant species composition of the meadows. Thus, it is critically important to understand the wintering ecology and habitat needs of this threatened species at East Dongting Lake. It is also essential to conduct further synchronous Yangtze River floodplain surveys to assess the current status, distribution and habitat use of Lesser White-fronted Geese throughout the region.

Farmland bird populations in Germany are declining at a higher speed than species inhabiting other habitats. We studied potential causes for bird population changes based on data from standardised German breeding bird monitoring schemes. We related population trends to covariates describing the changes in the agricultural landscape in Germany, weather conditions during the breeding season and for some migratory species, conditions at stopover and wintering sites. Linear mixed effect models were used to analyse effect strength at species level and conclusions are drawn for the overall group of farmland bird species. The area of grassland and fallow land was shown to have the strongest positive effects and the area of maize and rapeseed the strongest negative effects on farmland bird population trends. The results obtained also indicate that despite the consistent influence of weather conditions during the breeding season, land-use changes had a stronger impact on bird populations than weather. Conditions at Sahel wintering sites did not show a consistent effect on population trends. Based on these findings the study quantitatively underpins and ranks key factors shaping farmland bird populations in Germany.

The island of Sumba was visited in 1989 and 1992 with the aim of collecting data on its avifauna. The endemic and other restricted-range bird species are very poorly known and, potentially, at great risk from extinction due to habitat change. Using standardized methods, habitat and bird census data were collected in eight forest areas. Analysis of the habitat data shows that most of the restricted-range species are forest-dependent. The exception is Turnix everetti (Sumba Buttonquail), which is found in open grassland. Discriminant Function Analysis was used to define habitat associations in a more precise and objective way. The species with the most specific requirements are Ptilinopus dohertyi (Red-naped Fruit-dove) and Zoothera dohertyi (Chestnut-backed Thrush), which are associated with primary forest at high altitudes, and Cacatua sulphurea (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo) and Rhyticeros everetti (Sumba Hornbill), which prefer evergreen primary or mature secondary forest at low altitudes. The results of the bird censuses were combined with data on habitat cover from satellite photographs to produce estimates of total population sizes. Among the rarest and most endangered species on Sumba are three which are represented by endemic subspecies: C. sulphurea (estimated population 3,200 birds), Eclectus roratus (Eclectus Parrot) (1,900), Tanygnathus megalorynchos (Great-billed Parrot) (1,700). The rarest endemic species is R. everetti, with a population of approximately 6,500. It is suggested that the census method used – point counts With distance estimates to bird contacts – is the best compromise for multi-species surveys in tropical forests.

Frugivorous White-ruffed Manakins Corapipo leucorrhoa (Pipridae) showed pro nounced seasonal emigration from a pre-montane wet forest site (550 m) on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica. “Resident” breeders left the area between August and October, and returned between February and April, at the onset of the breeding season. Female patterns differed from those of males primarily in later departure (October) and later return (April). I documented 57 fruit species in the diet at this locality and monitored phenology for 43 of those species, many of which were understorey members of the Melastomataceae. The emigration did not coincide with a period of local fruit shortage (relative to abundance at the same locality in other months), but the relative abundance and species composition of fruit resources in the areas to which the manakins migrated remains unknown. However, peak resources did coincide with the period in which recent fledglings would be commonest and the period during which most individuals were moulting prior ot emigration. Resources were lowest from November, when residents were absent, untilJune, well into the breeding season. Tentative evidence suggests considerable annual variation, possibly owing to differences in the timing of the rainy season. Individuals captured during the period when almost all “resident” breeders were absent (November) appeared to be transients, and were rarely recaptured. Weights differed between sexes, with females (χ = 12.5 ± 1.0) significantly heavier than males (χ = 11.1 ± 0.8). Males were lightest during the breeding season, intermediate in weight during the moulting period, and both sexes were heaviest during the migration period, when they accumulated subcutaneous fat. Females were lightest during the moult period, at which time many may also have dependent fledglings. Many other frugivores and nectarivores may engage in similar altitudinal migrations. Even where altitudinal migration is not possible, birds might migrate to other habitats with different fruit resources or phenologies. The design of nature reserves should accommodate the possibility of significant altitudinal (or cross-habitat) migration for many species of frugivores and nectarivores.

In the Cerrado of Brazil, the largest Neotropical savanna region, open habitats are suffering an intense process of conversion to pasture and agricultural land. This study evaluated the responses of birds to the thinning of tree and shrub cover in plots of cerrado sensu stricto, the dominant habitat in the region, and examined whether disturbed plots supported bird communities of open natural habitats with similar structure. Birds were censused by point counts in five disturbed sites and in seven preserved patches, with a total of 304 samples of 20 minutes in 68 points. Cleared plots were not suitable for species strongly dependent on trees and shrubs, such as frugivores and most insectivores. Their abundance was associated with the complexity of vegetation structure in these plots. Shrubby pastures held about 120% more species than the traditional cleared ones. Bird communities of pastures showed large differences in relation to those of grasslands with similar structure. Communities of pastures were dominated by a seedeater, the Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina, and most species were habitat generalist or oportunistic predators, such as raptors and insectivores. Obligate grassland species, like the Grass Wren Cistothorus platensis, Cock-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor and Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis, as well as other abundant species in grasslands, such as Sharp-tailed Grass-tyrant Culicivora caudacuta and Capped Seedeater Sporophila bouvreuil do not adapt to pastures. Grassland grasses probably do not recover spontaneously in abandoned pastures and in other agricultural lands. Thus, conservation of grassland birds will strongly depend on a urgent programme of identification and protection of large areas of Cerrado dominated by campo limpo and campo sujo. These species would also benefit from the maintenance of a band of grassland along gallery forests.

For the first time, we estimated the population sizes of two swan species and four goose species from observations during the non-breeding period in East Asia. Based on combined counts from South Korea, Japan and China, we estimated the total abundance of these species as follows: 42,000–47,000 Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus; 99,000–141,000 Tundra Swans C. columbianus bewickii; 56,000–98,000 Swan Geese Anser cygnoides; 157,000–194,000 Bean Geese A. fabalis; 231,000–283,000 Greater White-fronted Geese A. albifrons; and 14,000–19,000 Lesser White-fronted Geese A. erythropus. While the count data from Korea and Japan provide a good reflection of numbers present, there remain gaps in the coverage in China, which particularly affect the precision of the estimates for Bean, Greater and Lesser White-fronted Geese as well as Tundra Swans. Lack of subspecies distinction of Bean Geese in China until recently also limits our ability to determine the true status of A. f. middendorffii there, but all indications suggest this population numbers around 18,000 individuals and is in need of urgent attention. The small, highly concentrated and declining numbers of Lesser White-fronted Geese give concern for this species, as do the major declines in Greater White-fronted Geese in China (in contrast to numbers in Japan and Korea, considered to be a separate flyway). In the absence of any demographic data, it is impossible to interpret the causes of these changes in abundance. Improved monitoring, including demographic and tracking studies are required to provide the necessary information to retain populations in favourable conservation status.

The avifauna of the Mariana Islands, an archipelago in the western Pacific, faces the threats of rapid economic development and the spread of non-native species, particularly a devastating predator, Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis. In this paper, we examine the status and trends of the land bird fauna of Saipan Island based on three island-wide surveys conducted in 1982, 1997, and 2007. During this period, the human population on Saipan increased more than four-fold and much of the island has been developed. The surveys employed standard point-transect methods based on Distance Sampling. Remarkably, we found nearly all species of land birds - 11 native species and three introduced species - to be common or abundant. The exception was the Micronesian Megapode Megapodius laperouse, a historically rare species that was not observed on the 2007 survey, although it does persist on Saipan and other Mariana islands. A comparison of species densities among the three surveys showed that seven species, mainly fruit and seed-eaters, had increased and three species of insectivorous birds had decreased - Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons, Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinia, and Golden White-eye Cleptornis marchei. Of these three, Nightingale Reed-warbler is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List and as an Endangered Species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Reed-warbler densities on Saipan decreased by more than half between 1982 and 2007. Although point transect sampling worked well for this species, density estimates and trends assessment could be improved by reallocating sampling stations among habitats and by more frequent sampling.

The Egyptian Vulture has been classified as ‘Endangered’ due to a rapid population decline in India and long term declines in Europe and Africa. Although the species has been reported to be declining in Eastern Europe, no quantitative assessment of the magnitude or the causes for population declines are available. We used monitoring data from the Balkan Peninsula to estimate changes in population size and extent of occurrence of Egyptian Vultures between 1980 and 2013. We quantified population trends in three countries (Bulgaria, Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic [FYR] of Macedonia) to assess whether population declines are similar within the Balkan range states. We found a rapid and consistent decline of the Egyptian Vulture population that was largely similar among the three countries (λ = 0.940 in FYR of Macedonia, 0.951 in Bulgaria, 0.920 in Greece). As a consequence of population declines, the breeding range of Egyptian Vultures has contracted and the population in the Balkan Peninsula has fragmented into six subpopulations separated by more than 80 km. Population declines may be driven by factors such as poisoning, electrocution, direct persecution and changes in food availability which operate at large spatial scales and affect birds both on breeding grounds as well as during migration and wintering. Because the relative importance of threats to the survival of Egyptian Vultures are poorly understood, there is a critical need for research into causes of mortality and potential conservation actions that may halt and reverse population declines.

The illegal killing and taking of wild birds remains a major threat on a global scale. However, there are few quantitative data on the species affected and countries involved. We quantified the scale and scope of this issue in Northern and Central Europe and the Caucasus, using a diverse range of data sources and incorporating expert knowledge. The issue was reported to be widespread across the region and affects almost all countries/territories assessed. We estimated that 0.4–2.1 million birds per year may be killed/taken illegally in the region. The highest estimate of illegal killing in the region was for Azerbaijan (0.2-1.0 million birds per year). Out of the 20 worst locations identified, 13 were located in the Caucasus. Birds were reported to be illegally killed/taken primarily for sport and food in the Caucasus and for sport and predator/pest control in both Northern and Central Europe. All of the 28 countries assessed are parties to the Bern Convention and 19 are also European Union Member States. There are specific initiatives under both these policy instruments to tackle this threat, yet our data showed that illegal killing and taking is still occurring and is not restricted to Mediterranean European countries. Markedly increased effort is required to ensure that existing legislation is adequately implemented and complied with/enforced on the ground. Our study also highlighted the paucity of data on illegal killing and taking of birds in the region. It is a priority, identified by relevant initiatives under the Bern Convention and the European Union, to implement systematic monitoring of illegal killing and taking and to collate robust data, allowing stakeholders to set priorities, track trends and monitor the effectiveness of responses.

The cliff-nesting Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus is one of four critically endangered Asian Vultures. In India, this species has declined catastrophically, but in Pakistan only small population declines have been recorded. Mortality of this species has been linked to poisoning by veterinary diclofenac, which was banned throughout south Asia in 2006. Between 2003 and 2012 we measured abundance of adult, sub-adult, juvenile, and dead vultures, and nest occupancy and productivity at the largest known Long-billed Vulture colony in Pakistan. We compared population parameters from before (2003−2006) and after (2007−2012) the ban on veterinary diclofenac. Our data and models indicate that vulture abundance, nest occupancy, and nest productivity declined 61%, 73%, and 95%, respectively, in the three years before the diclofenac ban, and then increased 1–2 years after the ban by 55%, 52%, and 95%. Furthermore, we observed 87% of total vulture mortalities prior to the diclofenac ban. Our results demonstrate for the first time since the onset of the Asian vulture crisis that the ban on veterinary diclofenac is an effective management tool for reversing Long-billed Vulture population declines.

We investigated the reproductive success of Campo Suiriri (Suiriri affinis) and Chapada Flycatcher (S. islerorum) in the Estação Ecológica de Águas Emendadas, Central Brazil. Between June and December 2003, we monitored 25 nests of Campo Suiriri and 20 nests of Chapada Flycatcher. The simple percentage of successful nests was 32% for Campo Suiriri and 10% for Chapada Flycatcher, whereas the reproductive success calculated by the Mayfield method was 19% for Campo Suiriri and 14% for Chapada Flycatcher. The estimated values of daily survivorship rate (DSR) for Campo Suiriri are as follows: egg period 0.971 and nestling period 0.944. For Chapada Flycatcher the figures were 0.964 and 0.930, respectively. No differences in DSRs between species or periods were statistically significant. All nest losses of Campo Suiriri were due to predation, while for Chapada Flycatcher predation accounted for 78% of nest losses and the remaining 22% was due to parasitism by botfly larvae (Philornis sp.). The low reproductive success of Chapada Flycatcher is close to the lowest values recorded for Neotropical birds and might be a threat to this species and an important variable in the determination of its conservation status.

Rice fields provide functional wetlands for declining shorebirds and other waterbirds around the world, but fundamental aspects of their stopover ecology in rice fields remain unknown. We estimated the length of stay of Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa migrating through rice fields, and showed the international importance of Extremadura’s rice fields (south-west Spain) for this Near Threatened shorebird species. Overall, large numbers of Black-tailed Godwits en route to their breeding grounds had long lengths of stay in the rice fields (34.7 ± 1.7, 14.4 ± 2.0 and 8.3 ± 1.2 days in godwits radio-tagged in late January, early February, and late February, respectively). The long lengths of stay of godwits in rice fields, together with some aspects of their feeding ecology, suggest that rice fields are suitable staging habitats, and therefore they could play an important role as buffer habitats against the loss or degradation of natural wetlands. Extremadura’s rice fields supported at least 14% of the declining Western European population of Black-tailed Godwit, and its increasing number in south-west Spain probably reflects a population shift towards the northern part of the winter range. We strongly suggest the inclusion of Extremadura’s rice fields as a Special Protection Area for birds under the European Union Directive on the conservation of wild birds.