Little to say from Italy: breeders went extinct after the Middle Age (Apulia); winter visitors / migrants, much decreased in the last 30 yrs (before: irregular occurrence, now: vagrant). Nevertheless, local stopover conditions have possibly improved, judging from the huge increase of wintering common cranes.
The following comment was received via email from Samuel Pačenovský on 1 June 2023:
“Dear BirdLife International red list team,
during last approximately 6 years I am personally involved in Great Bustard conservation in Slovakia.
There is only 1 site in Slovakia , recently, the Syslovské polia SPA, where the Great Bustard still survives. This is part of the West-Pannonian population , which is now increasing, reaching 500-600 birds, sharing lowland areas in bordering countries Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.
The Syslovské polia SPA holds an increasing winter population of
100-400 birds (an estimate for years 2017-2023) and a breeding population of 5-20 birds in breeding season, with 0-5 breeding females annually (2017-2023).
Despite of this locallly increasing population trend, what is a result of a concentrated conservation effort, most other populations of the Great Bustard, in Asia, including some other populations in East Europe, or other parts of Europe, are continually declining.
So I fully support the proposed change for the species classification from Vulnerable to Endangered.
Best regards,
Samuel Pačenovský
State Nature Conservancy, Slovakia, Dunajské luhy Protected landscape area, Bratislava office”
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) needs to be updated as it is a winter visitor to the north and northeast regions of Iraq. They have been significantly affected by hunting, leading to a decline in their population since the 1980s.
First box, section “Drivers of genuine change”:
In Alonso & Palacín 2022 the causes of the species’ decline are listed and discussed, so please include this reference in the parenthesis at the end: (BirdLife International 2017, Collar et al. 2017, Alonso & Palacín 2022).
A very recent census in Morocco updates the count given in Alonso & Palacín 2022, with a total of 78 birds estimated in that country (based on a count of 72 birds). I think that since the Moroccan population is the only one in the Afrcian continent, and provided it is a different genetic unit from the Iberain one, the reference of this report, given below, should be included in the literature as the most recent and reliable estimate for Morocco (i.e., whole Africa):
Alonso JC, Palacín C, Onrubia A, Alazouer Z, Noaman M, Mohamed L, Amezian M, Chergui EL Hemiani B, Clavero H, Sakka Y, Cherkaoui SI. 2023. Results of the great bustard (Otis tarda) census in Morocco, March 2023. Association Nature Solutions – IUCN-MED – CSIC. Unpublished report.
First box, section “Specific questions”:
Are there any additional population trend data that support or refute the rate of decline estimated herein?
The report on Moroccan Great Bustards neither supports nor refutes the overall rate of decline estimate herein, but for clarity and details about the most realistic trends in all countries/continents I think it should be included, and the total mentioned in section “Justification” (i.e., 29,626-33,014) should be slightly amended using this new estimate for Morocco (72-78 birds).
Is the timing of the proposed genuine change (2012-2016) realistic?
Yes.
Annex 1, Section “Population size/Number of mature individuals/Justification”:
The total mentioned here (29,626-33,014) should be slightly amended using Alonso et al’s (2023) most recent estimate for Morocco (72-78 birds) (see recommended citation above).
In subsecgtion “Justification”, where the current persistence of the negative effect of the causes of the recent decline over the next 3 generations is discussed, the following reference could be included in connection with the recently planned expansion of renewable energy infrastructure in Spain, which still represents the world species’ stronghold:
Palacín C, Farias I, Alonso JC. 2023. Detailed mapping of protected species distribution, an essential tool for renewable energy planning in agroecosystems. Biological Conservation, 277, January 2023, 109857.
Annex 1, section “Subpopulation structure/Values”:
The “No. Mature individuals in largest subpopulation” (Iberia) cannot be 23,000-25,000. This is the sum of current counts in Spain and Portugal, so “mature” individuals (>4 years in males, >2 years in females) could be estimated around a 10-15% lower than the figures currently given.
Annex 1, Section “Geographic range/’Area/extent/quality of hábitat’/Justification”:
Please add Alonso & Palacín 2022 to BirdLife International 2017 to justify that sentence.
Species range map (IMPORTANT !):
The color in Morocco is wrong. As I can see it, it corresponds to category “Possibly extinct” of the legend, whereas it shoud be “Native resident” (the same GREEN as in the Iberian Peninsula).
Prof Juan C Alonso
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Spain
Fully support the proposal to change the classification from Vulnerable to Endangered. The recent special issue of Sandgrouse that focused on Great Bustard status and threats across the central Asian populations highlights the decline and range contraction of most populations. Your species account reflects the latest information from across our region.
Rob Sheldon, Chairman, Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia (OSME)
Not much to say on behalf of Lebanon as the Great Bustard is considered “accidental” by Cramp & Simmons (1980). The last known record of this species in Lebanon is in 1944 by Cawkell, and according to Ramadan-Jaradi & Itani (2019) it is “unlikely to occur in Lebanon”.
In Andalusia, in southern Spain, an annual population monitoring has been carried out since the beginning of the century by the Regional Government of Andalusia’s Wild Fauna Monitoring Program. Currently, the estimated breeding population of Great bustard in Andalusia, at the southern limit of its European distribution, is estimated at 342 individuals (107 ♂♂ and 235 ♀♀) in 10 different nuclei, a number much lower than the 370 of 2021. Since 2012, the species has shown a decline of more than 3% per year. The data from recent years show that since 2016, when 470 birds were estimated, the species has entered a phase of constant decline. As in the case of all steppe bird species, habitat loss due to the elimination of fallow land and wasteland promoted by the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union since 2010, as well as the expansion of olive groves and other more profitable woody crops in their distribution areas are the main causes of their regression.
Regarding the causes of mortality, it should be noted that 50% of the cases detected in the last two decades were due to collision with power lines. Many of these individuals were adults, which is a limitation on the breeding population. The population is in a delicate state of conservation because the favorable reference population estimated at 508 breeding individuals has not yet been reached. In Andalusia it is classified as Endangered.
Jose Rafael Garrido
Wildlife Monitoring and Management Programmes Coordinator
Regional Goverment of Andalusia (Sapin)
I agree with the justification that the recent increase in decline in populations should be projected forward. Because great bustards are long-lived, population estimates generally lag recruitment indices so declines tend to happen abruptly. Climate change and recent technological agricultural changes (including AI applications) mean that land use intensification has accelerated across core areas of the remaining range leading to reduction of breeding success.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Great Bustard is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criteria A3cd+4cd.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Little to say from Italy: breeders went extinct after the Middle Age (Apulia); winter visitors / migrants, much decreased in the last 30 yrs (before: irregular occurrence, now: vagrant). Nevertheless, local stopover conditions have possibly improved, judging from the huge increase of wintering common cranes.
The following comment was received via email from Samuel Pačenovský on 1 June 2023:
“Dear BirdLife International red list team,
during last approximately 6 years I am personally involved in Great Bustard conservation in Slovakia.
There is only 1 site in Slovakia , recently, the Syslovské polia SPA, where the Great Bustard still survives. This is part of the West-Pannonian population , which is now increasing, reaching 500-600 birds, sharing lowland areas in bordering countries Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.
The Syslovské polia SPA holds an increasing winter population of
100-400 birds (an estimate for years 2017-2023) and a breeding population of 5-20 birds in breeding season, with 0-5 breeding females annually (2017-2023).
Despite of this locallly increasing population trend, what is a result of a concentrated conservation effort, most other populations of the Great Bustard, in Asia, including some other populations in East Europe, or other parts of Europe, are continually declining.
So I fully support the proposed change for the species classification from Vulnerable to Endangered.
Best regards,
Samuel Pačenovský
State Nature Conservancy, Slovakia, Dunajské luhy Protected landscape area, Bratislava office”
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) needs to be updated as it is a winter visitor to the north and northeast regions of Iraq. They have been significantly affected by hunting, leading to a decline in their population since the 1980s.
First box, section “Drivers of genuine change”:
In Alonso & Palacín 2022 the causes of the species’ decline are listed and discussed, so please include this reference in the parenthesis at the end: (BirdLife International 2017, Collar et al. 2017, Alonso & Palacín 2022).
A very recent census in Morocco updates the count given in Alonso & Palacín 2022, with a total of 78 birds estimated in that country (based on a count of 72 birds). I think that since the Moroccan population is the only one in the Afrcian continent, and provided it is a different genetic unit from the Iberain one, the reference of this report, given below, should be included in the literature as the most recent and reliable estimate for Morocco (i.e., whole Africa):
Alonso JC, Palacín C, Onrubia A, Alazouer Z, Noaman M, Mohamed L, Amezian M, Chergui EL Hemiani B, Clavero H, Sakka Y, Cherkaoui SI. 2023. Results of the great bustard (Otis tarda) census in Morocco, March 2023. Association Nature Solutions – IUCN-MED – CSIC. Unpublished report.
First box, section “Specific questions”:
Are there any additional population trend data that support or refute the rate of decline estimated herein?
The report on Moroccan Great Bustards neither supports nor refutes the overall rate of decline estimate herein, but for clarity and details about the most realistic trends in all countries/continents I think it should be included, and the total mentioned in section “Justification” (i.e., 29,626-33,014) should be slightly amended using this new estimate for Morocco (72-78 birds).
Is the timing of the proposed genuine change (2012-2016) realistic?
Yes.
Annex 1, Section “Population size/Number of mature individuals/Justification”:
The total mentioned here (29,626-33,014) should be slightly amended using Alonso et al’s (2023) most recent estimate for Morocco (72-78 birds) (see recommended citation above).
In subsecgtion “Justification”, where the current persistence of the negative effect of the causes of the recent decline over the next 3 generations is discussed, the following reference could be included in connection with the recently planned expansion of renewable energy infrastructure in Spain, which still represents the world species’ stronghold:
Palacín C, Farias I, Alonso JC. 2023. Detailed mapping of protected species distribution, an essential tool for renewable energy planning in agroecosystems. Biological Conservation, 277, January 2023, 109857.
Annex 1, section “Subpopulation structure/Values”:
The “No. Mature individuals in largest subpopulation” (Iberia) cannot be 23,000-25,000. This is the sum of current counts in Spain and Portugal, so “mature” individuals (>4 years in males, >2 years in females) could be estimated around a 10-15% lower than the figures currently given.
Annex 1, Section “Geographic range/’Area/extent/quality of hábitat’/Justification”:
Please add Alonso & Palacín 2022 to BirdLife International 2017 to justify that sentence.
Species range map (IMPORTANT !):
The color in Morocco is wrong. As I can see it, it corresponds to category “Possibly extinct” of the legend, whereas it shoud be “Native resident” (the same GREEN as in the Iberian Peninsula).
Prof Juan C Alonso
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Spain
Fully support the proposal to change the classification from Vulnerable to Endangered. The recent special issue of Sandgrouse that focused on Great Bustard status and threats across the central Asian populations highlights the decline and range contraction of most populations. Your species account reflects the latest information from across our region.
Rob Sheldon, Chairman, Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia (OSME)
Not much to say on behalf of Lebanon as the Great Bustard is considered “accidental” by Cramp & Simmons (1980). The last known record of this species in Lebanon is in 1944 by Cawkell, and according to Ramadan-Jaradi & Itani (2019) it is “unlikely to occur in Lebanon”.
In Andalusia, in southern Spain, an annual population monitoring has been carried out since the beginning of the century by the Regional Government of Andalusia’s Wild Fauna Monitoring Program. Currently, the estimated breeding population of Great bustard in Andalusia, at the southern limit of its European distribution, is estimated at 342 individuals (107 ♂♂ and 235 ♀♀) in 10 different nuclei, a number much lower than the 370 of 2021. Since 2012, the species has shown a decline of more than 3% per year. The data from recent years show that since 2016, when 470 birds were estimated, the species has entered a phase of constant decline. As in the case of all steppe bird species, habitat loss due to the elimination of fallow land and wasteland promoted by the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union since 2010, as well as the expansion of olive groves and other more profitable woody crops in their distribution areas are the main causes of their regression.
Regarding the causes of mortality, it should be noted that 50% of the cases detected in the last two decades were due to collision with power lines. Many of these individuals were adults, which is a limitation on the breeding population. The population is in a delicate state of conservation because the favorable reference population estimated at 508 breeding individuals has not yet been reached. In Andalusia it is classified as Endangered.
Jose Rafael Garrido
Wildlife Monitoring and Management Programmes Coordinator
Regional Goverment of Andalusia (Sapin)
I agree with the justification that the recent increase in decline in populations should be projected forward. Because great bustards are long-lived, population estimates generally lag recruitment indices so declines tend to happen abruptly. Climate change and recent technological agricultural changes (including AI applications) mean that land use intensification has accelerated across core areas of the remaining range leading to reduction of breeding success.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Great Bustard is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criteria A3cd+4cd.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.