PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) — Europe’s rarest passerine bird — is classified as vulnerable at a global level and listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. It is protected by the EU Birds Directive and 2 international conventions, but the current world population is shrinking — current estimates are that fewer than 11 000 singing males remain, in fewer than 50 breeding sites.
5 LIFE projects focusing on the aquatic warbler breeding grounds have been implemented, and 3 focusing on staging sites. However, but many aquatic warbler stopover and wintering sites are still vulnerable, facing threats such as habitat loss and degradation which result from drainage, conversion to arable land, forest and other plantations, pollution, modern farming practices, the impact of invasive species and coastal erosion.
The LIFE AWOM project builds on numerous previous conservation projects — including LIFE Carricerín and LIFE Paludicola and intends to address the needs identified by the LIFE PALUDICOLA project. It aligns with national and international species action plans and contributes to the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites designated for this species. The project also complements the LIFE4AquaticWarbler project, which focuses on breeding grounds, ensuring coordinated conservation efforts along the European-African flyway.
OBJECTIVES
The overall LIFE AWOM objective is to support the recovery of the EU and global population of aquatic warblers by tackling habitat loss and degradation and contributing to the policy framework concerning the aquatic warbler.
Its specific objectives are to:
- identify a coherent, comprehensive network of flyway sites using the best available scientific data
- restore and manage foraging habitats on 18 Natura 2000 sites in Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium, and on a 300-hectare (ha) wintering area in Senegal
- improve methods for assessing the size and quality of habitats and the importance of resting and wintering areas
- test and demonstrate habitat conservation methods to benefit the aquatic warbler and other wetland bird species
- provide up-to-date information on each site to authorities in Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal so they can update their standard data forms (SDFs)
- scale up habitat restoration through national nature restoration plans, prioritised action frameworks (PAFs), programming documents under the Common Agricultural Policy in Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal, and contribute to the International Species Action Plan (ISAP) with a focus on staging and wintering areas
RESULTS
The project’s expected results and impacts include:
- 819 ha of stopover habitat restored in 18 Natura 2000 sites in Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal
- 300 ha wintering site restored in Senegal
- 600 ha of wintering and stopover sites in Senegal protected as a community-based conservation area
- data collected to promote the inclusion of aquatic warbler in at least 11 relevant SDFs and in situ protection in Africa, and to identify areas for protection and management
- revision of the International Species Action Plan (ISAP)
- preparation of aquatic warbler national Species Action Plans (SAPs)
- at least 1 000 ha of aquatic warbler habitats included in the Belgian, French, Spanish and Portuguese national nature restoration plans