In
1993, a group of specialists from around the world met at a workshop sponsored
by the WPA, Captive Breeding Specialist Group and BirdLife International.
This workshop was organised to pull together the best information possible
on the conservation status of the species covered by this SG, as well as the
Pheasant and Megapode Specialist Groups. The "Galliformes Conservation Assessment
Report," by Phil McGowan, Suzie Ellis, and John Carroll was subsequently published
in 1994. This was followed by the publication of "Status Survey and Conservation
Action Plan 1995-1999: Partridges, Quails, Francolins, Snowcocks, and Guineafowl,"
edited by Phil McGowan, Simon Dowell, John Carroll, and Nicholas Aebischer,
and published by the IUCN. This edition is no longer available through online booksellers, although you may be able to source a copy from second hand sellers such as www.abebooks.com or www.abebooks.co.uk.
It is better known as the Action Plan and provides the SG and hopefully any conservationists and researchers an outline of conservation strategies. Because of the overlap with species in Asia, several of the Asian projects are co-listed with the Pheasant Specialist Group Action Plan. You can purchase the Action Plan from Amazon.co.uk (amazon.com don't stock it).
Following is an overview of the projects which rated the highest priority during the period 1995-1999. This list is by no means inclusive of all of the conservation concerns of the SG and not meant to be exclusionary to other conservation projects which someone might be interested in undertaking.
- Project 4.1.1
- Increasing the coverage of the Specialist Group Network. Aim: To establish links with appropriate personnel in countries/regions that are important for partridge, quail, francolin, snowcock, and guineafowl species, but not yet covered by the SG.
- Project 4.1.2
- Identification of key areas for Asian Galliforms. Aim: To identify area important for the conservation of Galliformes in Asia and to promote their protection.
- Project 4.2.1
- Assessment of the conservation status of neotropical quails in northern Central America. Aim: Assessment of the status of forest quails in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, through broad surveys of areas within the region.
- Project 4.2.2
- South American wood-quail Odontophorus monitoring and conservation plan. Aim: To estimate the distributions and population sizes of Odontophorus species and develop methods for establishing densities. To deploy a number of stations in Central and South America, using workers and materials already present, targeting these species which either: a) occupy representative habitats, enabling extrapolation of density estimates to species not included or, b) are species of particular conservation concern.
- Project 4.2.3
- Status and conservation of the bearded tree-quail Dendrortyx barbatus in Mexico. Aim: Conservation of a viable population of the bearded tree-quail and the development of a conservation management plan.
- Project 4.2.3
- Protection of viable population of the gorgeted wood-quail Odontophorus strophium in Colombia. Aim: Support Fundacion Natura in the deployment of a Colombian biologist to determine population size and density of species in Virolin forest and survey for other extant populations.
- Project 4.3.1
- Survey of forest Galliformes in southern Ugandan. Aim: To establish the presence and density of four species of francolins, francolinus nahani, F. squamatus, F. lathami, and F. nobilis and possibly two guineafowl, Guttera pucherani and G. plumifera in the remaining tropical forests of southern Uganda.
- Project 4.3.2
- Conservation of the Djibouti francolin Francolinus ochropectus in Djibouti. Aim: To determine the remaining population of Djibouti francolin and ensure its urgent protection from further decline.
- Project 4.3.3
- Survey of the habitat of the recently discovered Udzungwa forest partridge in Tanzania. Aim: To investigate the ecology, breeding biology, population density and conservation status of the Udzungwa forest partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis, and make recommendations that will ensure its conservation.
Other African Projects
- Project 4.3.4
- Survey of Angolan francolins.
- Project 4.3.5
- Moroccan subspecies of double-spurred francolin.
- Project 4.3.6
- Conservation of Cameroon mountain francolin.
- Project 4.3.7
- Conservation of Madagascar partridge.
- Project 4.3.8
- Conservation of white-breasted guineafowl in Liberia.
- Project 4.3.9
- Moroccan subspecies of helmeted guineafowl.
- Project 4.4.1
- Survey of the Caspian snowcock Tetraogallus caspius in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Aim: To clarify the distribution and range of the Caspian snowcock, determine its population density and establish the nature of any threats to its survival.
- Project 4.5.1
- Survey and habitat management of the swamp francolin Francolinus gularis in India. Aim: to ensure the long-term conservation of the swamp francolin by: a) providing information on its status in the Indian part of its range; b) comparing habitat use on unprotected agricultural land with that in a fully protected area; and c) making appropriate management recommendations to the state and central governments.
- Project 4.5.2
- Survey of the endangered Manipur bush-quail Perdicula manipurensis in North-east India. Aim: To determine the distribution and status of the Manipur bush-quail by surveying all potentially suitable habitat in north-east India.
- Project 4.5.3
- Search for the Indian mountain quail Ophrysia superciliosa in the Indian Himalaya. Aim: To determine whether the Indian mountain quail still survivs in its Himalayan range by revisiting its historic localities and other potential sites.
- Project 4.6.1
- Conservation of the Sichuan hill-partridge Arborophilia rufipectus in China. Aim: To ensure the long-term consrevation of the Sichuan hill-partridge by assessing its distribution, promoting the notification of a protected area and understanding its reaction to habitat disturbance resulting in the implementation of appropriate management practices.
- Project 4.6.2
- Conservation of the white-eared (Hainan) hill-partridge Arborophila ardens in Hainan, China. Aim: to ensure the long-term conservation of the white-eared (Hainan) hill-partridge on Hainan island.
Summaries of further projects in China, including Taiwan
- Project 4.6.3
- Surveys of the white-throated (Taiwan) hill-partridge in Taiwan.
- Project 4.6.4
- Conservation of the collared hill-partridge in China.
- Project 4.7.1
- Establishing conservation priorities for Galliformes on Sumatra, Indonesia. Aim: To promote the conservation of Sumatran Galliformes by a) determining what conservation and research initiatives are currently underway so that benficial links can be established; and b) proposing and carrying out surveys to complement these initiatives in areas not already covered.
- Project 4.7.2
- Assessing conservation priorities for Galliformes on Borneo. Aim: To promote the conservation of Bornean Galliformes by a) determining what conservation and research initiatives are currently underway so that benficial links can be established; and b) proposing and carrying out surveys to complement these initiatives in areas not already covered.
- Project 4.7.3
- Survey of the re-discovered orange-necked hill partridge in Vietnam. Aim: The conservation of a viable population of the orange-necked hill-partridge by locating exant populations and formulating a management plan.
- Project 4.7.4
- Conservation of threatened Galliformes in the Annamese lowlands of Vietnam. Aim: The identification and development of protected areas containing threatened Galliformes in the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area of central Vietnam.
Summary of further project in South-East Asia
- Project 4.7.5
- Conservation of threatened partridges in Thailand.
Links to other related Web sites
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