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Conservation

For full details of these projects and current up to date news on the Trust's work please visit The Accipiter, our on line magazine.

Photograph on this page of an Oriental White-backed Vulture is by Steven Noyes

During the latter part of the 20th century, there was a marked increase in the role of zoos as conservation bodies. Two main ways this occurred was through the successful management of conservation breeding programmes and education. There are several species that would now be extinct were it not for the timely support of captive breeding programmes and zoos are now an incredible educational resource, with zoos worldwide entertaining more than 600 million visitors every year.
The Hawk Conservancy Trust actively participates in management programmes for a number of species that are of conservation concern. These programmes are most successful when many different collections take part, and we have close links with other collections who are also members of the Federation of Zoos or the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Studbooks are the commonest way to monitor and manage captive species. These aim to maximise the genetic potential of a captive population, avoid inbreeding, and maintain a healthy population. This is necessary if, in the future, zoo populations are required to restock depleted wild populations. They also ensure that a healthy zoo population remains for the future. Studbooks are co-ordinated by Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs), which contribute to the conservation of groups of birds and mammals by identifying those species in need of management, both in captivity and the wild.

Conservation is not only the breeding and management of rare or threatened species. It is also about education. This is particularly important with younger people. Each year The Hawk Conservancy Trust entertains thousands of school children of all ages, and works hard to relay a message of understanding and appreciation about natural history to all our visitors. This applies not just to raptors. With the development of Reg's Downland Meadow and children's nature trail, visitors can also learn more about British wildlife.
Habitat conservation and restoration is just as important as the conservation of those species which live in such areas. Loss of habitat is one of the major reasons behind the population decline of wild birds and mammals. Although a relatively small area, Reg's Downland Meadow represents an important piece of restored habitat within the county of Hampshire. Chalk grassland and wildflower meadows are now far less common, and their richness has declined. In fact, compared with the period just before the Second World War, less than 20 percent of the floral diversity of chalk grassland still exists today.

For many people, the most advanced form of conservation is the release of species back into areas where it has become rare or locally extinct. For several decades, The Hawk Conservancy Trust has been breeding and releasing buzzards. Before the release programme started, it was uncommon to see a buzzard in this part of the country. Now they are seen far more frequently, not only at the Trust but also in surrounding districts. Red kites were once common throughout Britain. Persecution and poisons effectively caused their massive decline to a remnant population surviving in Wales. In the 1980s and 1990s, other organisations have re-introduced Red Kites at several locations in England and Scotland. The Hawk Conservancy Trust has a breed and release programme for Red Kites, and plans to help boost their numbers to former levels.

Objectives:

Further development of the Oriental White-backed Vulture (IWBV) conservation programme.

Background: At present, The Hawk Conservancy Trust holds the largest captive population of this critically endangered species in the world, and coordinates the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for this species.

• Where appropriate and possible, provide ongoing assistance to workers currently involved with in situ efforts in range countries. Assist with staff exchanges and/or the provision of equipment and skills.
• Construct new breeding aviaries for the vultures kept by the Hawk Conservancy Trust, to maximise reproduction of the few remaining birds. Develop facilities for additional vultures.
• Conduct an investigation into the relatedness of IWBVs within the EEP, through a DNA analysis of the population. The Trust aims to secure the necessary funds to conduct this analysis.
• Collaborate with all other relevant organisations and individuals
• Employ all other available means to avoid the extinction of this species.

Further development of the African White-backed Vulture research programme:

Current work is based around Kimberley, in the Northern Province of South Africa. Funds are required to continue research into the ecology and conservation of this species. Declines have already been noted in some populations, and further work will play a crucial role in assessing susceptibility to a major population decline, similar to that experienced by the Oriental White-backed Vulture.

In situ conservation in Hampshire.

• Become a key organisation for habitat restoration and management within Hampshire and other areas in southern England.
• Purchase, or take under management, land suited to the re-establishment of chalk grassland and/or woodland management.
• Continue research focused upon the effective conservation management of British raptors

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