IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS IN THE PACIFIC: A COMPENDIUM.

Contents.

Summary

Important Bird Areas – the Concept.

The Important Bird Area Programme of BirdLife International

An Overview of the IBA Programme – methods.

Marine IBAs in the Pacific

The IBA database – part of the World Bird Database.

Results, to date, from the Pacific.

                IBA coverage by Country/Territory in the Region

                The Bird Species for which IBAs are important in the Region

What should be done next?

References & Acknowledgements.

The aim of this document is to provide up-to-date information on the identification of Important Bird Areas within the Pacific Region as of at the current time – end of June 2010.  We hope that this document generates open and frank discussion about the status of IBAs in countries and territories across the region and, in so doing, helps to advance conservation principles within the region.  Please relay any comments, suggestions, criticisms or recommendations to ourselves at the contact address below to enable further discussions about the status of IBAs in the region.

IBA identification is an ongoing process within the region –a number of countries and territories have confirmed sites, other countries and territories have identified a more-or-less complete list of proposed sites while further countries have so far identified few or no IBAs. 

In addition, this document provides the first examples of the application of Marine IBA criteria to sites in the Pacific. 

Mark O’Brien & Sue Waugh

[email protected]

BirdLife Pacific,

GPO Box 18332

Suva,

Fiji.