David G. Allan¹ & Leon Bennun²

1Curator of Birds, Durban Natural Science Museum, P/Bag 4085 Durban. South Africa, e-mail DavidA@durban.gov.za; ²Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, PO Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya, e-mail tba2@africaonline.co.ke

Allan, D.G. & Bennun, L. 1999. Afrotropical birds and conservation biology: Reconciling theory and practice. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban: 1519. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.

The avifauna of Africa is at least as threatened as that of anywhere else on the globe. As the continent straddles the tropics and supports a wide diversity of habitats, it has high species diversity and a high proportion of both endemic birds and birds with restricted ranges. Africa's human population is exploding and the concomitant pressures on its natural resources are intensifying. The resultant threats to birds are not unique to the region but are fast pushing many of Africa's most special bird species towards extinction. Deforestation, wetland degradation, poisoning and a myriad of additional threats are impacting bird populations faster than ornithologists can keep track of the damage. The purpose of this symposium is to take a broad overview of Africa's avifaunal conservation problems, based on a southern and eastern African perspective. Key issues discussed include which species are most liable to extinction and why, reconciling human population demands and bird conservation priorities, the value and limitations of nature reserves in bird conservation, and an examination of the major threats. Particular attention will be paid to forecasting future conservation scenarios based on current knowledge and on searching for workable solutions to the continent's pressing conservation problems.