P.C. Bhattacharjee¹ & C.J. Bibby²

Bhattacharjee, P.C. & Bibby, C.J. 1999. Assessment of the habitat quality of avifauna. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban: 2259. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.

In recent times, development pressures and urbanisation have adversely affected bird habitats, especially in developing countries. There is often a chance to influence decision-making and the protection of habitats if rapid and authentic scientific assessments are available. This symposium discuses up-to-date knowledge and techniques for assessment of habitats in the hope of helping scientists all over the world take a positive step towards conservation particularly for threatened species and habitats. Approaches to this challenge range from the study of single species to the regional assessment of sites and up to the continental scale. Consideration is given to the better understanding of the observed patterns and relationships. Information needs to be interpreted and used within a social and political context if it is to be influential.