A roadmap integrating research, policy, and actions to conserve Afro‐Palearctic migratory landbirds at a flyway scale

Abstract

Abstract The populations of Afro‐Palearctic migratory landbirds (breeding in Europe and overwintering in Africa) are declining and conservation efforts to halt or reverse their decline have failed to meet their targets. Yet, most studies and conservation measures focus on migratory landbirds’ breeding grounds, whereas knowledge about threats, drivers of their decline and conservation actions in their nonbreeding grounds, where they spend most of their annual cycle, is largely limited. Here, we provide a four‐step roadmap to integrate research, policy and actions for conserving Afro‐Palearctic migratory landbirds at a flyway scale: (1) assessing and monitoring population trends and defining priority species accordingly; (2) maximizing tracking data to identify important areas for the conservation of priority species; (3) conducting ground‐based studies on the nonbreeding grounds to identify conservation challenges; (4) implementing conservation measures, for the benefit of both the avifauna and the local human communities. Alongside these steps, international conventions may facilitate new collaborations across range‐states and institutions to engage diverse stakeholders and involve local communities, with particular emphasis on evidence‐based policymaking, law enforcement in addition to capacity strengthening and knowledge transfer of new technologies. This four‐step roadmap provides guidance for future work on Afro‐Palearctic migratory landbirds and will ultimately contribute to their conservation.

Keywords

• annual cycle
• bird migration
• capacity strengthening
• Emberiza hortulana
• evidence‐based policymaking
• flyway scale