GENEVA CHF 1.

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have further reduced the species habitat.

It is listed in Appendix II of CITES.
VIENNA 0.70

Grus japonensis
COMMON NAME: Japanese crane
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
The Japanese crane, also known
as the red-crowned crane, is sacred
and seen as a symbol of fidelity, good
luck, love and long life in the Orient. It
is also the second rarest crane species
in the world. These tall, graceful birds
are mainly white in colour with black
lower wings. In male Japanese cranes, the
cheeks, throat and neck are also black,
while in females they are a pearly-grey.
Adults have a bare patch of skin on the
crown of the head, which is bright red in
colour. The bill is an olive-green colour
and the legs are black.
Japanese cranes are highly aquatic
birds. They feed in much deeper water
than other crane species; feeding on
pasture lands in summer and moving
to coastal salt marshes, rice paddies,
cultivated fields, rivers and freshwater
marshes in winter.
Japanese cranes forage using a
walk and peck technique. They have a
broad diet that varies depending on the
site, including insects, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, rodents, fish, reeds,
grasses and other plants.
These beautiful birds were almost
hunted to extinction in Japan at the
beginning of the twentieth century for
their stunning plumage. Habitat losses
due to agriculture and development have
been further causes of the decline in the
Japanese crane. The species is listed in
Appendix I of CITES.

10

Strigops habroptilus
COMMON NAME: Kakapo
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
The kakapo is a critically endangered, giant, nocturnal parrot. It is a
classic example of evolution on an
isolated island, and has a number of
characteristic features that make this
species unique. The kakapo is the only
member of the subfamily Strigopinae and
is the only flightless parrot in the world.
It is also the largest parrot known and is
possibly the longest lived. Adult kakapos
have beautiful mossy-green plumage
mottled with brown and yellow, which
provides excellent camouflage against
the forest floor. The face is owl-like,
yellowish-brown, and framed with modified whisker-like feathers. The feathers of
the kakapo are downy and soft.
The kakapo is endemic to New
Zealand, and was once widespread within
the North, South and Stewart Islands, but
is now extinct throughout this former
range. The kakapo formerly inhabited
a wide range of habitat types, including
lowland Podocarp forests, upland beech
forests and subalpine scrublands. It feeds
on a variety of fruits, seeds, roots, stems,
leaves, nectar and fungi.
The first human settlers of New
Zealand hunted kakapo for their feathers
and meat.The situation became critical as
humans set about clearing forests, hunting
and releasing mammalian predators such
as domestic cats, dogs, stoats and rats.
The drastic measure of removing all
surviving kakapo to predator-free islands
has averted extinction of this remarkable
bird. It is listed in Appendix I of CITES.

Lophophorus impejanus
COMMON NAME: Himalayan monal
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae

Pithecophaga jefferyi
COMMON NAME: Philippine eagle
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae

Ciconia nigra
COMMON NAME: Black stork
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ciconiidae

A stunningly colourful member of

the pheasant family, the Himalayan monal
is the national bird of Nepal. The iridescent rainbow-like plumage of the male
is surpassed only by the slightly larger
Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii).
The male Himalayan monal possesses
a wiry, metallic green head-crest that is
absent in other monal species, as well as
a chestnut-brown tail, light brown wings
and a white rump that is visible in flight.
The head is bright green, the eyes ringed
with blue and the neck reddish-brown.
At the nape of the neck is a yellow patch
which forms the top edge of the bluishblack wings and the purplish-black back.
Females do not share the same splendour as males, with overall dark brown
feathers.

The Philippine eagle is the world's

largest eagle, and one of the most threatened raptors. The male and female eagle
are similar in appearance, possessing
a creamy-white belly and underwing,
while the upperparts are a rich chocolate-brown, with a paler edge. The long
feathers of the head and nape form a
distinctive, shaggy crest and are creamybuff in colour with black streaks.

The black stork is a large but fairly

secretive bird. The black head, upperparts, wings, tail and long neck have
a conspicuous green or purple gloss,
contrasting with the white belly, undertail and armpits. The long legs and long,
straight beak are bright scarlet in adults,
especially during the breeding season,
and a patch of scarlet skin also surrounds
the eye.

The Philippine eagle has heavy,

yellow legs with powerful claws, and a
large, deep bluish-grey bill.

The black stork has the most

extensive breeding range of any stork.
Throughout its widespread distribution
across three continents, Europe, Asia
and Africa, the black stork occupies a
range of different habitats. It generally
prefers old, undisturbed, open forest and
woodland, at elevations of up to 2,000
to 2,500 metres. The black stork feeds
mainly on fish, although it may also take
insects, amphibians, snails, crabs, and
small reptiles, mammals and birds. Most
foraging takes place in shallow water,
where the black stork stalks its prey,
catching it with a quick stab of the beak.
It is capable of long periods of sustained
flight, and may undertake migrations of
up to 7,000 kilometres or more, often
making long sea crossings that other
species avoid.

The Himalayan monal is found in

the Himalayas from eastern Afghanistan
to Bhutan, north-east India and southern
Tibet. During the summer months, the
Himalayan monal ventures above the
treeline to wander on the grassy slopes,
but during winter it is found in coniferous
and mixed forests with a high proportion
of rhododendrons and bamboo, where it
shelters from the weather.
The Himalayan monals status as
the national bird of Nepal helps to raise
awareness of this stunning bird and its
needs, and it is hoped that this may keep
the species safe in the future. It is currently
not seriously threatened, however, in
many parts of its range, tree harvesting
takes place, and additionally this pheasant
is hunted for food and for its colourful
plumes. It is listed on Appendix I in CITES.

This species can live to between 30

and 60 years of age. It feeds mainly on
flying lemurs, palm civets and monkeys,
hence the alternative common name of
monkey-eating eagle. Other prey items
include rats, snakes, flying squirrels, birds
and bats.
The Philippine eagle is endemic
to the Philippine islands of Luzon,
Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. It was once
widespread throughout the islands
and, although the current population is
unknown, it is thought to number fewer
than 250 mature individuals. The population has undergone a sharp decline,
primarily as the result of habitat destruction due to commercial development,
mining activities and hunting. The accumulation of pesticides may be responsible for a reduction in reproductive rate.
It is listed in Appendix I of CITES.

Although not considered globally

threatened, the black stork has generally
declined throughout its range, particularly in western Europe. Their main
threat is habitat loss, though deforestation, development, agriculture, draining
and conversion of wetlands, and pollution. The use of pesticides is thought to
have worsened the situation, and the
building of dams and draining of lakes
for irrigation and hydroelectric schemes

Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
COMMON NAME:
Red-fronted parakeet
tAXONOMIC CLASSIFICAtION:
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
The red-fronted parakeet is immediately recognizable by its distinctive,
brightly coloured plumage. Vivid crimson
feathers appear on the forehead, crown
and behind the eye, earning this bird
its alternative common name of redcrowned parakeet.This conspicuous red
marking on the head contrasts with the
predominantly green colour of the rest
of the body, though yellow mutations
are occasionally found in the wild. The
underside of the wings are blue-violet;
the beak is grey-blue, getting darker at
the tip; and the eyes are orange.This bird
has a unique and unusual voice, which is
sometimes likened to the bleating of a
goat.
Historically abundant in mainland
New Zealand, the red-fronted parakeet is now effectively extinct in this
area. Populations currently remain on
offshore islands, including the Kermadec
Islands, Three Kings, some Hauraki Gulf
islands, Kapiti Island, Stewart Island and
surrounding islands.
It is found in a wide variety of
habitats, including dense temperate rainforests, coastal forest, scrubland, forest
edges and open areas. It feeds mainly
on plant material, including seeds, fruits,
flowers, nectar, leaves and shoots, but
also on invertebrates, and it will occasionally scavenge animal carrion.
Human settlement and conversion
of forest to farmland probably contributed

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