IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS OF ETHIOPIA A FIRST INVENTORY

Abstract

The commencement of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) Project in April 1995 opened a new chapter in the Conservation for Survival agenda of our revitalized Society. The importance of the IBA project to the nation in general and the Society in particular has been demonstrated through the provision of training to young Ethiopians in bird identification and survey techniques. The Society is proud to have been able to provide the training which was organized in the country for the firs t time. Furthermore, the project has enabled the Society to conduct an extensive study on the majority of Ethiopia's Important Bird Areas. It has also built the Society's institutional capacity through the provision of on-the-job training, office and transport facilities, and established an IBA database. With three Endemic Bird Areas (in the Central Highlands, Southern Highlands and the Juba-Shebelle Valleys), a further 31 restricted range and globally threatened birds which are recorded in the book of endangered species, Birds to Watch 2, major concentrations of water birds in the -Rift Valley and unique montane grassland avifauna, Ethiopia's Important Bird Areas have significant biological importance. In addition, the Important Bird Areas are resting areas during migration to and from the Arabian peninsula used by many palaearctic species. They are flyway s for palaearctic migrants from Europe and Asia into Africa, and are used by intra-African migrants. Regrettably, these ecosystems of high biological importance are threatened and need strong conservation action supported by legislation. The threats include habitat destruction, encroachment by undesirable plant species following flooding, conflicts of interest in land use between local people and government institutions managing protected areas, the increasing widespread use of agro-chemicals, shrinkage of lakes and wetlands due to industrial and agricultural development, the expansion of seasonal cultivation, the negative attitude of people in some areas towards birds particularly Cranes and Geese fo r the damage they cause to crops and burning to control long grass, as well as the expansion of refugee camps. As can be observed from the above list of threats, the problems are not common to all Important Bird Areas, which represent a wide range of environmental and socio-economic conditions. Hence, the solutions to the problems will in many cases depend on the region,habitat, site and species. In order to make the directory relevant to these needs, the Important Bird Area site accounts are presented in chapters, one fo r each administrative region. In addition, impo rta nt conservation issues for each Important Bird Area site are identified. The publication of this directory contributes to biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia through the dissemination of vital information on the state of the country's avifauna. I hope, the directory will provide each Administrative Region with useful information for policy formulation and decision-making, pertinent to biodiversity. This is the firs t Important Bird Area directory to be published in Africa. It will, I hope, serve our BirdLife Partners in the Region as a model. The directory is also expected to set the standard th a t should be maintained in the production of such a publication. I believe this directory has met the required standard and level o f accuracy through the relentless e ffo rts o f the professional s ta ff o f the Society, BirdLife International, the contributors and editors. The directory is meant to provide a firs t inventory of Ethiopia's Important Bird Areas. It is not, therefore, complete or comprehensive. It needs to be revised in the near future to refine the data already gathered, and to collect more information on bird species and their habitats. Beyond the publication o f the directory, the Important Bird Area process can only move forward to the next phase — the preparation of conservation action plans for highly threatened sites and the implementation of the same — through the active involvement of local communities in planning and implementing integrated sitebased conservation and development actions. This will require, among others, a full understanding of the perception, needs and priorities o f the people who will be instrumental in the successful implementation of an Important Bird Area programme. The Society will continue to contribute to this endeavour in collaboration w ith the concerned federal institutions, regional governments, and BirdLife International, as well as other organizations, at home and abroad, which are interested in the study and conservation of Ethiopia's biodiversity.