Agenda item 10

Updating the Key Concepts Document on the Period of

Reproduction and Prenuptial Migration of Huntable Species

Expert Group on the Birds and Habitats Directives “NADEG”

22-23.5.2018 Brussels

Priority A, Action 1: Update the ‘Key concepts document on the period of reproduction and prenuptial migration of huntable bird species in the EU’ (by 2019)

Preparatory work for the update

• Need for updating:

o New knowledge

o Climate change

o Discrepancies between Member States

• Study contract with FACE & BirdLife examined”Proposals for a methodology for the regularupdating of the Key Concepts of Article 7(4) of the Birds Directive” in 2012

• Scoping study by N2K Group in 2015

• Discussion at NADEG meeting in 2015

P.m.: Structure of the current KCD

• IntroductionMethodology

• Data gathering and processing

• Definitions: Reproduction period – Prenuptialmigration period

• Start and end of the reproductionperiod: species by species

• References used by each MemberState

• Factsheet for each species:• General information: distribution, population size, etc. • ”Movements” table: resident/migratory breeding/passage/wintering in each

Member State• ”Definition of period of reproduction” used by each MS• ”Period of reproduction” table in each MS (by decade)• ”Prenuptial migration” table: possible difficulty in identifying its start in each MS• ”Period of prenuptial migration” table: in each MS (by decade)

A. Introduction of the KCD

• Will be reviewed by the Commission

• No (major) changes expected

• “Complete protection” ECJ judgment in 1994

Definition of the ”rearing season and the differentstages of reproduction” (Chapter 2.1 of KCD): “the breeding season is the period during which a species lays and incubates its eggs and rears it young to the flying stage. However, the ‘reproduction period’ not only covers the breeding season but also includes the occupation of the breeding areas as well as the period of dependence of young birds after leaving the nest”.

Definition of the reproduction period

• Agreed scheme (KCD, p. 4-5)

• Species by species table with the stages identifying the start and end of the reproduction period (KCD, p. 8-13): changes only if errors/new information

Definition of the pre-nuptial migration period

• Definition of the return to the rearing grounds (pre-nuptial/spring migration)(KCD p.6): ”In general, start of the spring migration can only be estimated by comparison of data from many different regions of the EU, analysis of ringrecoveries and consideration of arrival dates in the breedingareas”

Issues raised in relation to the definition of the two periods:

✓ Independence of ducklings before the flying stage

✓ Species (Wood Pigeon) with a very long breeding period

✓ Distinction between males and females

• General principles re. data (KCD, p. 7-8) still valid:

- Earliest period retained (between-year variations, differencesbetween different parts of a MS)

- Earliest migration population (several population of the samespecies)

- Extreme, outlying and erratic data excluded…

• Unchanged: data (start & end of spring migration and start& end of reproduction period) reported in decades: (day 1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 31 in each month)

• Unchanged: MSs asked to report data for all huntable species listed in Annex II of BD occurring on their territory

• Unchanged: Need to use the most up-to-date and reliable source of scientific information

• Unchanged: biological information in factsheets (except population

size and trends)

B. Data collection and submission

• Improvements in the traceability of references

• Use of new source of information: data from on-line portals(citizen science and ringing data) will be used to increaseconsistency of data across MSs

• Guidelines for Member States on how to use the existinginformation on the EuroBird Portal viewer (and EURING data) to help determining especially the start and also endof the spring migration period: EC is at the momentexploring this possibility

What new in data collection & submission? (1/3)

• Enhanced emphasis on the involvement of stakeholders at Member State level. MS are asked to report on the type of consultation undertaken.

• Which species MS to report on? Reference is Checklist for birds under Article 12 reporting (2013-2018)

• Article 12 reporting data (2008-2012) used as source of information for the section ”Population size and trend”/species

What new in data collection & submission? (2/3)

• Large MSs can split their territory into max. 3 partsprovided that scientific references support it & there are enough data for all parts

• To ease the reporting, MSs will receive a blank MS Access database to record the requested data:

• a special data entry form (tool) will faciliate data recording process and minimise errors

• a ’user’s guide’ will be provided

• the database = a historical reference for likely updates of the Key Concepts Document in future

• increased transparency

• can be linked to other data systems (e.g. Article 12 and Natura 2000 database)

What new in data collection & submission? (3/3)

Use of EuroBird Portal and EURING data

Why?

• EuroBird Portal offers large sample sizes

• EURING data could be used for the interpretation of EuroBird Portal results

• Both have limitations in terms of coverage (species, countries) and timing

0 1000000 2000000 3000000 4000000 5000000 6000000

Vanellus vanellus

Turdus pilaris

Turdus philomelos

Turdus iliacus

Tringa totanus

Tringa nebularia

Sturnus vulgaris

Streptopelia turtur

Streptopelia decaocto

Philomachus pugnax

Numenius arquata

Mergus merganser

Limosa limosa

Larus ridibundus

Larus canus

Garrulus glandarius

Gallinago gallinago

Coturnix coturnix

Columba palumbus

Branta bernicla

Anser anser

Anser albifrons

Anas querquedula

Anas penelope

Anas crecca

Anas clypeata

Anas acuta

Alauda arvensis

Number of observations

EURING (all times)

EuroBird (2010-2016)

EuroBird Portal https://eurobirdportal.org/ebp/en/

Who will be using the EUroBirdPortal and EURING?

• MSs to set the start and end of the spring migration period.

- EC will provide guidelines for MSs on how to use the existing EuroBird Portal viewer or national/regional online portals to help determine the spring migration period

• EC to solve possible discrepancies between MSs. EC is exploring potentials to develop a tool based on the EuroBird Portal to determine the start and end of thespring migration period for some species

• The tool will help translate the data into ”Key Concepts format” i.e. decades

When EURING (or other complimentary) data could be used? To help interpret on-line portals data. E.g. to make the difference between a movement within a wintering area and the start of the migration period.

Data entry form (tool) as simple as possible

Main issues to be reported remain the same

What is new?

References

• Quality check and rating of the sources of information(references) will be done by the EC – the method will be shared

• Possible types of sources:

• Publication: article, book

• Technical report

• Web-material

• Possibly others

• No automatic exclusion of studies which have not been”peer reviewed”

Data Entry Form: user’s guide

• ”Read me before start” introduction

• General description of the KCD database

• Data Entry Form and its use

• Data fields in the data entry form

• Data submission

C. Processing of data from MSs

• Data will be assessed:

a. to identify obvious errors

b. to verify completeness

c. to check consistency across MSs

• If no data from a MS, then EC uses current data

• MSs data will be merged into an EU database

• A temporary expert group may assist the process

➔ Please communicate the details of your expert

➔ No objection to make the list of experts publicly

available?

Next steps (1/2)

• Note to MS clarifying some issues (a.o. quality check of references,

answer to substantive questions raised by MS or stakeholders)

• (Draft) blank databases sent to Member States early June(subject to EC receiving information on MSs splitting their territories)

• MSs comment the Data Entry Form (blank database) in June

• 01/07/2018-31/10/2018: MS collect data in collaborationwith stakeholders

• Technical support to MS provided by EC

• Each MS submits its database by 31/10/2018

• State of play of the work at the NADEG meeting

• 11/2018-03/2019: processing and assessing data & preparation of the draft updated KCD

• Spring 2019: meeting of the temporary group of experts ifneeded

• Draft updated KCD (introduction and data) with an improved presentation sent for consultation in spring 2019

• 05/2019: discussion at the NADEG meeting

• 07/2019: final draft approved by NADEG

• 12/12: adoption of the document by the Commission

Next steps (2/2)

Reminder…

• Last deadline for raising possible substantiveissues (MS splitting their territories, questions, concerns, etc.):10/06

• Communicate the details of the experts for thetemporary expert group: 30/06

• Any objection on having a list of experts that is publicly available: 30/06

Thank you!

© Petri Ahlroth