BirdLife International is a global Partnership of
conservationConservation may refer to:* Conservation movement, to protect animals, fungi, plants and their habitats** Conservation biology, the science of the protection and management of biodiversity...
organisations that strives to conserve birds, their
habitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s and global
biodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. It is the World's largest partnership of conservation organisations, with over 100 partner organisations including the RSPB, the
Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History SocietyThe Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society , founded in 1976, is a non-governmental, membership-based organisation committed to research into and conservation of nature in Gibraltar and the region of the Strait of Gibraltar....
,
National Audubon SocietyThe National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
,
Bombay Natural History SocietyThe Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
,
Birds AustraliaThe Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
,
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New ZealandThe Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....
,
Nature SeychellesNature Seychelles is a registered non-governmental association in Seychelles dedicated to environmental conservation.It is the national partner of Birdlife International and was formed as the replacement of Birdlife Seychelles in 1998....
,
Malaysian Nature SocietyMalaysian Nature Society is the oldest and one of the most prominent environmental not for profit, non-governmental organizations in Malaysia. It was first established, as the Malayan Nature Society, with the launch of the Malayan Nature Journal, in 1940...
, and
BirdWatch IrelandBirdWatch Ireland is the current name of the organisation that used to be known as the Irish Wildbird Conservancy.BirdWatch Ireland is the leading voluntary conservation organisation in the Republic of Ireland, devoted to the conservation and protection of the Republic of Ireland's wild birds and...
. Together the BirdLife Partnership forms the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life.
History
BirdLife International was founded in 1922 by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ornithologists T. Gilbert Pearson and
Jean Theodore DelacourJean Théodore Delacour was an American ornithologist of French origin. He was renowned for not only discovering but also rearing some of the rarest birds in the world...
as the
International Council for Bird Preservation. This
lobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
group fell into disuse after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It became active again in 1983 with the appointment of a professional director, and changed its name in 1993 to Birdlife International.
Regional Work
Birdlife International has conservation work programmes in
Africa, the
Americas,
Asia,
Europe and Central Asia, the
Middle East, the
Pacific and the
Caribbean.
Global Programmes
Within each of these regions, Birdlife International carries out various Global Programmes, including: The
Global Seabird Programme,
The Birdlife Preventing Extinctions Programme, the
Flyways Programme, the
Climate Change Programme, the
Forests of Hope Programme, the
Local Empowerment Programme and the
Important Bird Areas Programme.
Magazine
Birdlife International publishes a quarterly magazine - 'World Birdwatch'. The magazine contains recent news and authorative articles about birds, their habitats, and their conservation around the world.
Red List
BirdLife International is the official Red List Authority for birds for the IUCN. In the latest assessment in 2011, 1,253 species of bird are considered threatened with extinction (i.e. in the categories of Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable). This represents 12.5% of the total of 9,920 extant bird species in the world.