The Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group meets in Zadar, Croatia, October 3-7, 2022, for its 10th International Workshop.
Jointly organized by the Croatian Society for Birds and Nature Protection, the University of Osijek, the CASA Institute of Ornithology, and the Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, this workshop gathers about 30 participants from 14 different countries. This workshop takes place every three years and involves staff from various nature conservation organizations, including scientists, members of NGOs, managers of breeding sites, students, all passionate about this emblematic wetland species.
The aim is to share information and build practical know-how on population and habitat management. While the Western European population is doing well, the Eastern European population is in decline and a particular focus this year will be on capacity building within the network in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Exchanges will therefore focus on the state of knowledge on the Eurasian spoonbill in each of the participating countries, the threats to the species, in particular during its migration, and the new knowledge acquired on its ecology in recent years, in particular through the development of new technologies such as onboard GPS. The Eurasian Spoonbill is a species that benefits from an international action plan implemented by the group of experts. The Tour du Valat is the coordinator of this plan, in particular through its president, a researcher at our institute.
Since 2008, the Tour du Valat has been conducting a monitoring program for Eurasian Spoonbills ringed every spring in the Camargue (more information). This program allows to continually enrich the knowledge of this species, particularly concerning its migratory behavior. For the past two years, Hugo Ferreira has been working on his PhD and evaluating, among other things, the differences in mortality between the migration routes followed by the Camargue population.
Contact : Jocelyn Champagnon, research scientist (e-mail)
