Mongolia 2023

20th Symposium, 16-18 August 2023

International conference calls geese experts for stronger flyway level collaboration

About 100 scientists from 14 countries specialized in goose ecology from Asia, Europe, and North America gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, between 16 and 18 August 2023, for the 20th meeting of the Goose Specialist Group of IUCN Species Survival Commission. It was an important international meeting to provide a platform for researchers to discuss scientific questions concerning geese, to identify new approaches towards species and habitat conservation, and to promote strong international collaboration. The meeting was hosted by the Wildlife Science and Conservation Centre of Mongolia and the IUCN Goose Specialist Group in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, East Asia-Australasian Flyway Partnership, University of Oklahoma, and the Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and with financial support from the Hanss Seidel Foundation, University of Oklahoma, Druid Technologies, and the Global Messenger. The meeting theme was “Science. Cooperation. Conservation. For better understanding and protecting goose populations across the northern Hemisphere”.

Following an impressive concert of throat-singing and horsehead fiddle, the meeting was kicked-off by a vibrant presentation given by Dr. Lucy Hawkes from the University of Exeter in UK about the high-altitude migration of bar-headed geese, which fly at 7000 m high across the Himalaya range. This species is also a flagship species of the Central Asian Flyway, in which several species of geese migrate between breeding areas in East Russia and Mongolia to wintering areas in India and South Asia. Besides bar-headed geese, this flyway includes several other vulnerable species including also lesser white-fronted geese, and for many of these species vital knowledg e on their population size is missing. Information on waterfowl counts at several key sites along this flyway was presented by scientists from several countries including India, Mongolia and Russia. In a workshop hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Wildlife Science and Conservation Centre of Mongolia on the 15th of August, the developments of the Central Asian Flyway Initiative were discussed, which will link range states within the flyway to support conservation actions for migratory species.

Mongolia is also the home of breeding swan geese and other goose species migrating within the East Asia-Australasian flyway to winter in China. Specialists from China, Russia, Korea and Japan presented new data on populations of geese within this flyway. Their findings showed a mixed picture, with some strong population growth in species that are able to feed on farmland, while species reliant on natural habitats still appear very vulnerable.

An absolute highlight was the presentation by professor Cao Lei from Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, who showed the intricate migratory connections of geese species between the Russian Arctic and wintering sites in Yangtze River Basin in China. At the end of the conference, she was awarded with the Godman-Salvin medal by the British Ornithological Union, which was handed out during a beautiful ceremony.

At the last day of the conference, the important topic of avian Influenza and other infectious diseases among geese populations across the globe was discussed. Diseases such as high-pathogenic avian influenza can be spread between countries by the linkages created by migratory waterfowl.

At the same time, the keynote presentation by Dr. Diann Prosser from US Geological Survey in USA and other presentations underlined that transport of domestic birds is likely to be as important or more important for the spread of avian influenza, yet this is challenging to study. In the most recent years, migratory waterfowl more and more seem to become victims of high-pathogenic influenza, with large losses in several populations of geese, pelicans, seabirds and cranes. The most critical challenge appears to be the monitoring of the spread of high-pathogenic avian influenza, and several examples of detailed avian influenza surveillance and monitoring programs in Asia, Russia, America and Europe were discussed.

The 20th meeting of the Goose Specialist Group was an important stimulant for developing protection and monitoring of waterfowl in the Central and East Asian flyways, as well as international collaboration in research on avian influenza and other topics concerning goose ecology. The countries present in this meeting were Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, and United States.

Within the framework of the conference, the conference participants were awarded in nominations for the most interesting presentation, poster and the most promising young scientists. It was noticeable that many young scientists took an active part in the conference and joined the ranks of the group.

The International Goose Specialist Group is actively working, developing, and bringing together more than 350 specialists from 39 countries of the world and striving to strengthen contacts between all researchers on migratory goose populations in the Northern Hemisphere.

It was decided to hold the next meeting in Mikulov (Czech Republic) in January-February 2025.

All photo credits @WSCC of Mongolia

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse