The conservation of wading birds

The conservation and management of wading birds, particularly colonial wading birds, has received considerable attention in the past 20 years. Critical issues over this period were status and trends (including endangered species), wetlands, nesting sites, aquaculture, critical habitats and international cooperation. There has been a considerable advance in basic knowledge and in the application of this knowledge io conservation issues. World wide action plans and flyway plans are in development Issues for the next century include population based conservation, habitat conservation at both the local and landscape scales, wading birds as potential bioindicators of environmental stress, and activation of the strategic plans.