– Module 4 – Why count waterbirds? Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course – – Module 4 – Why count waterbirds? This PowerPoint presentation does not include any personalised activities. Trainers can therefore add some to suit their needs. Running the Module The following factsheets should be handed out at the end of the series: What are waterbird counts for? The main objectives: 1 page - S4.1 How a waterbird monitoring network works: 1 page - S4.2 These factsheets can be found at the end of Hecker N., 2015. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa: A toolkit for trainers - Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France. 2015

Designed and written by Nathalie Hecker nat.hecker@yahoo.fr This training course is one of the tools of: Hecker N., 2015. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa: A toolkit for trainers - Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France Designed and written by Nathalie Hecker nat.hecker@yahoo.fr Photographs Steve Garvie www.pbase.com/rainbirder Illustrations Cyril Girard girardcyril3335@neuf.fr, www.cyrilgirard.fr Translation Rachel Wakeham moosekeeper77@hotmail.com Richard Lansdown rlansdown@ardeola.demon.co.uk Module 4 is part of Hecker N., 2015. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa: A toolkit for trainers - Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France. These tools have been adapted from Hecker N., 2012. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – A toolkit for trainers -Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France, and « La Mallette Pédagogique » by HECKER, N. 2000. Formation pour le suivi des populations d’oiseaux d’eau en Afrique sub-saharienne. ONCFS - Tour du Valat, France. This entire publication (text, photos and illustrations) is licensed by Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA. Any part of this publication may be copied, used, adapted and distributed for non-commercial purposes, citing the authors’ names and distributing any material produced from this publication under identical or similar license.

Technical explanations Presenting the Module Technical explanations Indoor exercises The “Why count waterbirds?” Module includes different types of slides: White background: technical explanations; Shaded blue / yellow background: indoor exercises, some of which can also be carried out as fieldwork. The English, French and Latin names of the species shown are given in the notes section of each slide.

Objectives of the Module Why count waterbirds? Objectives of the Module At the end of this Module, you will be able to: explain how census results are used at three different levels: local, national and international describe the operation and role of national and international networks understand how your own work fits into these networks. A learner-centred approach This Module should motivate each trainee and show them the importance of their involvement in the census network, at whatever level. To do so, the trainer needs to help each trainee, be they a future census counter and/or organiser and/or coordinator, to be aware of their role within the network and the value of their work as a link in the network’s chain. The trainer’s role is to: Help the trainees with their thought-process; Foster the sharing of ideas and showing how the trainees can help each other out; Guide the trainees to discover and structure everything they will need to learn themselves. Skills the trainer will need: a sound knowledge of national and international waterbird census networks; a sound knowledge of international conventions, agreements and organisations.

Why count waterbirds? What are the censuses for? Indoor exercise Equipment: flipchart pad, marker pens Procedure: groups of 2 to 4 people Each group must find answers to the question “What are waterbird censuses for?” Each group should list their answers on paper, organising them into local (site-wide), national and international levels Each group should present their answers to the other groups A joint list can be drawn up by compiling the different results Indoor exercise Equipment: flipchart pad, marker pens Procedure: groups of 2 to 4 people Each group must find answers to the question “What are waterbird censuses for?” Each group should list their answers on paper, organising them into local (site-wide), national and international levels Each group should present their answers to the other groups A joint list can be drawn up by compiling the different results Trainer’s role: Help with the thought process and compilation; Hand out the “What are waterbird counts for? The main factors” factsheet S4.1 at the end of the exercise.

Why count waterbirds? At site level: to evaluate the importance of the site To know the numbers of different species of waterbird at a site To know how many birds of each species the site can hold, and how this varies To compare census results from different sites in the region or the country and assess each wetland’s relative importance for waterbirds To prioritise measures to be taken for threatened species Having handed out the “What are waterbird counts for?: The main objectives” factsheet S4.1, the trainer should comment on each section.

Why count waterbirds? At site level: ensure the continued monitoring of a site To detect changes in numbers of birds or their specific composition To help identify the reasons for these changes in order to implement conservation measures if necessary To assess the impact of various activities To regularly check if the use and/or management of the wetland is wise and sustainable. Having handed out the “What are waterbird counts for?: The main objectives” factsheet S4.1, the trainer should comment on each section.

Why count waterbirds? At a national level To know the role and importance of the country’s wetlands for different species of waterbirds throughout their annual cycle To provide information for implementing conservation measures and steps towards the sustainable use of natural resources To provide information for nature protection laws (including huntable species, hunting seasons, species and areas to protect, and threatened species) and national policy for wetland conservation To provide information to compile data. Having handed out the “What are waterbird counts for?: The main objectives” factsheet S4.1, the trainer should comment on each section.

Why count waterbirds? At an international level To improve the understanding of species in their distribution range (including population sizes, annual cycle, movements and migrations) and to monitor change in certain parameters such as population size To provide information necessary for international conventions and agreements, and for producing strategic documents. At all levels To increase knowledge of species and their biology. Having handed out the “What are waterbird counts for?: The main objectives” factsheet S4.1, the trainer should comment on each section.

Why count waterbirds? Further reading National and international reports of census results An Atlas of Wader Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia. 2009. Wetlands International – Wader Study Group. Waterbird Population Estimates. Wetlands International. Wings over Wetlands: - The flyway approach to the conservation and wise use of waterbirds and wetlands: 2010 Training kit Critical Site Network Tool Etc. The trainer can present these ideas for further reading and useful links as well as any documents relevant to the region concerned. See § Useful publications and links, Tool 2: The training modules in the Toolkit for trainer Hecker N., 2015. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – A toolkit for trainers -Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France.

Why count waterbirds? What are the censuses for? Indoor exercise: Diagram of networks Procedure: The “How a waterbird monitoring network works” factsheet S4.2 should be handed out to each trainee at the beginning of the exercise. All trainees should take part in a discussion of the following points: the role of each person (counters, national and international coordinators); the results at each level, their distribution and use; the links between each level (arrows) and the importance of each one. Trainer’s role: Lead the discussion and see that everyone joins in; Make the connection with the results from the previous exercise. The network is a chain made up of a series of links

How to count waterbirds Knowing how to count waterbirds is: Knowing when to count and when to estimate Knowing how to count a small group of birds Knowing how to estimate a large group The trainer can introduce the procedure of the course on census techniques.

Thanks for your attention!