Appeal to all birders and wildlife enthusiasts: add your name to the list in solidarity

Appeal to all birders and wildlife enthusiasts: add your name to the list in solidarity



With only 20 days left before the start of the “Champions of the Flyway” race, the countdown to the biggest birding event of the year has begun.

Our blog’s team “The Dutch Knights” – Marc Guyt, Gert Ottens and Martijn Verdoes  – will line up in Eilat Israel together with other crack birding teams with a common purpose – to raise awareness about the need for action.

We appeal to all wildlife enthusiasts to add your name to the list in solidarity:


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Bird trapping is a growing problem in Cyprus – Credit: BirdLife Cyprus

Now just by-catch, a magnificent Eurasian Bee-eater, robbed forever of its aerial mastery, hangs helpless and awaiting despatch in a Cypriot hunter’s mist net.

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Another Cypriot Hoopoe heads for the pot. Photo: H Yorganci / BirdLife Cyprus

If you you are appalled as we are by the widespread slaughter of migrating birds in Southern Europe including Cyprus, then please show solidarity and add your name to the list below:


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Please help to raise awareness by sharing this article on Facebook and Twitter

BirdLife Cyprus staff are currently working hard to bring about lasting change but with illegal killing still increasing and conservation resources ever-more stretched, the challenge is daunting.

Current estimates suggest as many as 2,500,000 birds are now illegally hunted, trapped and killed in Cyprus every year.

The Birds Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament bans activities that directly threaten birds, such as the deliberate killing or capture of birds, the destruction of their nests and taking of their eggs, and associated activities such as trading in live or dead birds.

The hunting of birds during migration, reproduction and the raising of chicks is also forbidden.

While the trapping of birds (by non selective methods such as mist nets and limesticks) and the sale of Ambelopoulia has been illegal since 1974, the law has little deterrent effect.

Since the EU Birds Directive is not being enforced by EU member states and especially by those in Southern Europe including Cyprus, your support on this appeal is urgently needed.

Our goal is to raise awareness and funds through sponsors and donations to finance projects for the protection of birds and conservation.

Many generous readers have responded to our appeal, and the 50% mark has already been surpassed. But with only 20 days left to go:

More names are needed on the list. To support this petition you don’t even have to be European! We appeal to all birding and wildlife enthusiasts worldwide to show solidarity:

Please donate the price of a cup of coffee (in any currency) to BirdLife International Charity Reg. No. 1042125 adding your name and comment.

Thank you for your support


Ken Billington

Ken Billington

Ken, a scientist by training held various management positions in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries during his professional career, enabling him to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Americas, North Africa, Asia and Japan. Ken has always been a keen photographer and bought his first telephoto lens 10 years ago. This was the beginning of his interest in bird photography. Since then he has also become an active supporter of birding and wildlife conservation.

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Ken Billington

Ken Billington

Ken, a scientist by training held various management positions in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries during his professional career, enabling him to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Americas, North Africa, Asia and Japan. Ken has always been a keen photographer and bought his first telephoto lens 10 years ago. This was the beginning of his interest in bird photography. Since then he has also become an active supporter of birding and wildlife conservation.

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