Galliformes science and species extinctions: what we know and what we need to know

In early 2010, the 193 Parties that had signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity all acknowledged that they had failed to meet the target that they had set themselves in 1992 of significantly reducing species extinctions by 2010. At the end of the year they set a new and more ambitious target of preventing species extinctions by 2020. Achieving that target will require much greater efficiency in the use of resources and research has a very significant role to play in making this happen. There are 290 species of Galliformes of which 26% are considered at risk of extinction, compared with 12% of all 10,000 bird species. At the same time there is significant research literature on the group that stretches back decades for some species. It is timely, therefore, to consider whether it is possible to increase the efficiency and global impact of gamebird research so that, with careful planning that involves more strategic direction and sharing of lessons learnt, game biologists can play a significant role in achieving the 2020 target for species adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Specific areas in need of this lesson sharing approach are population estimation and threat assessment, analysis of exploitation and determining the ecological basis of successful interventions.