Wetlands International has initiated the Follow The Bird! project with Purple Heron in 2008 to study their migratory routes from the Netherlands to Africa. In 2009, we have built on the success of this first project.

We wish to develop new partnerships to explore the migratory routes of other species in this and other flyways to promote a greater understanding of linkages between migratory waterbirds, wetlands and people. We welcome involvement and participation in this work.

Purple Heron

The European populations of Purple Heron Ardea purpurea currently have an unfavourable conservation status having suffered a long-term decline over the past decades. For example, the Dutch population has declined from 500-600 pairs in 1981 to 210 pairs in 1991.  Since then, the Dutch population has started to recover, but it remains to be seen how conditions along the flyway may limit the recovery of the population.  

In the Netherlands, the Purple Heron is one of the flagship species for the conservation of marshland habitats as part of implementation of the Marshland Habitat Action Plan. In 2008, Wetlands International has joined forces with Vogelbescherming Nederland and the Bureau Waardenburg, who had initiated a Purple Heron satellite telemetry project in 2007.

The Inner Niger Delta in Mali is an important stop-over site for Purple Herons, which successfuly cross the Sahara. Unfortunately, large numbers of these exhausted birds become victims of subsistence hunting and "bush meat" trade. Therefore, with Wetlands international's experience, alternative livelihood opportunities are being developed in the area.

Aim of the 2008-2009 project

The project aims to study the feeding ecology and habitat use of the Purple Heron at its breeding grounds in the Netherlands and to get new insights into the precise migration routes, stop over sites and non-breeding (northern wintering) areas in Africa.

Besides the scientific goals of tracking migration routes, following Purple Herons marked with satellite transmitters also offer a great opportunity to highlight the challenges that migratory waterbirds face during their amazing journeys, identify the network of important wetland sites along their migration routes in the flyway and the need for collaboration with local people who use and depend on these sites and to raise awareness of the need to conserve these birds and their habitats.