A few days ago we published a very interesting interview with Jim Lawrence, Programme Development Manager of BirdLife’s ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ (PEP), which we joined in January. That interview gave us the point of view of a PEP insider; in the interview that follows we talked to Erik Hirschfeld, Editor of the Rare Birds Yearbook (RBYB) series who donates 4GBP of every sale of the RBYB to the PEP because he strongly believes that - to quote him - the PEP is “the most important ornithological global cause right now”.

About: Erik Hirschfeld was born in 1959 in Sweden and started birding when he was 14. His formative birding years were spent on the Swedish west coast where especially waders and migrating seabirds attracted his attention. He has published several papers on identification and migration as well as a couple of books (including the critically-lauded Rare Birds Yearbooks).

He lives in Malmö, Sweden with his wife and their three sons and is an avid microbirder (for an explanation of ‘microbirding’ go to www.microbirding.se).

Erik, I should start this interview by saying I first met you back in 1991 when you took me birding in Bahrain. You were working as an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) then, and are still working with ATC now. A great job with lots of opportunities to look at airplanes, or a great job with lots of opportunities to go birding overseas?

• EH: Actually, my reason for seeking employment with SERCO (at that time IAL) was to get to Arabia for birding rather than enhancing my career. I was determined not to have a career but to work as an ATCO until I retired and bird as much as possible in my many days off.

  I applied for my first job abroad (Salalah, Oman), heavily inspired by the book “Birds of Oman”, just two weeks before I left Air Traffic Control College in 1981, but did not get it of course (and had to pay for the interview trip to London myself…). But from there on I was determined to get a job in Arabia and I spent some time travelling in the Middle East in the mid to late 80s birding with friends or as a tour leader as much as I could on my leaves. I should, however, admit that I do enjoy watching airplanes too and did manage to get quite a list of interesting airplanes in Bahrain during the first Gulf War…

I believe - rightly or wrongly - that many people are looking for a cause, or a way to support a cause they strongly believe in. I’m assuming that - outside of your family - conservation is your ’cause’. If so, is it possible to explain why?

• EH: I agree with you, but am not sure if everyone is aware of what they are looking for or even that they are looking. I certainly did not become aware of that until in my 30s. In my early years I visited mainly one site, counting everything there every day for three consecutive summer holidays and dreaming of writing it all together in a report. In the early 80s it was Falsterbo every autumn weekend, counting birds that hundreds of others also counted, and some twitching. In the second half of the 80s I birded mostly abroad on leaves, did the occasional twitch and started a tour operator (AviFauna) with some friends. Then I lived abroad for five years and was back to the systematic daily bird counts, which resulted in a small book, and I also set up two ringing schemes, in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi and got into that side. That is also when I got more deeply into conservation. The oil spills after the first Gulf War reached Bahrain and as I knew where all the Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus wintered I could easily advise on which areas to put priority on in protecting and also got the media to write a lot about it.

  In the second half of the 90s I hardly birded at all in Sweden, leading the occasional tour abroad now and then; the experience birding here in Sweden could not compare to the pioneering feeling of birding in Arabia, so instead I got involved in the Swedish BirdLife partner and all kinds of ornithological admin, including a conservation awareness campaign. It was after a couple of years in Prague when we first returned to Sweden that I got a stronger appetite for birding Sweden again, combined with more cause-orientated work. I think it is essential to get a balance between ordinary, every-day birding and a cause, and now’s the first time I feel I have reached that stage. So, yes, the conservation cause is increasingly strongly there and different types of birding has led me to it.

I would guess now that most of your time is spent producing the wonderful and critically-acclaimed Rare Birds Yearbooks (RBYB) which I enthusiastically reviewed last year?

EH: Well, during the production period which spans c 6 months it will take much of my time, even though it becomes easier as I learn more and establish a network. And I am careful about setting aside weeks for 100% vacation time with the family.

I am delaying the publication of 2010 (will start work in September, publish in May 2010) as at the moment I am working on another, local, book targeted towards non-birders, about birds-people-city and encounters between the three. That book is supposed to get more people aware of the birds close to us, their conservation problems (which are quite different from the birds in RBYB), and whet the non-birding reader’s appetite for learning more. It is a different concept to the RBYB, without a deadline, more coffee-table orientated and with a different and attractive design and a strong conservation message.

However, it all helps being employed part-time (a right in Sweden if you have children under age 12) and being able to work when the kids are in school. And I have a routine of at least a few hours microbirding a day which keeps me relaxed.

You must be very proud of the Yearbooks but I notice your name doesn’t appear on the cover at all: are you just being typically modest?

• EH: It’s important to feature BirdLife on the cover as it is a truly global conservation organisation. Then, one must remember that much of the material comes from hard work by researchers all over the world, my name should not overshadow their efforts which is one reason that it is not there. If I wanted spinoffs for my living, such as lectures, feature-writing, tour-leading etc, it would have been important to have my name on the cover but that is not my purpose with the book.

The information packed into the Yearbooks is incredible. You’ve acknowledged the help and support of many people: are conservationists - as I think - the nicest and most generous people on the planet (or would it be more politic given your ‘day job’ to say ‘airline captains’ instead)?

• EH: I would say conservationists (which should include scientists, because I correspond with many hard-core scientists too) are the nicest and most generous people on earth, yes. Of course, many of them want their work and their cause to be well-known as well, and I think the rare Birds Yearbook helps in that which may explain part of the generosity. But anyone who lives for a cause, as these people in the jungle, on isolated islands or wherever they are do, is interested in getting attention for it of course.

I read on the net (at http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com/2009/01/erik-hirschfeld.html) that the Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea - a relatively common shorebird in the Palearctic - is your favourite bird. Your head hasn’t been turned yet by any of the beautiful but Critically Endangered species you’ve been absorbed in while writing the Yearbooks?

• EH: I must admit, despite being a strong fan of Palearctic birding and waders in particular, that I am interested in seeing some of the birds in the book. It is unavoidable when researching and compiling facts that my head gets turned a bit. Before, I was more into dull and difficult-to-identify species. Now I have, for example, realised that parrots are not just boring birds in cages but have strong characters and extremely interesting lives. And there are many stories and myths around many species in the book which make me very interested in seeing them live. Kakapo is one such bird.

Is there another species in the Yearbooks you feel particularly personally about because you’ve perhaps seen it or feel that its situation is somehow more poignant than other species?

• EH: It is difficult to single out just one species, there are too many of them I feel personal about…but Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius is a species I have seen and feel strongly for. It is also a wader which is always very special for me. I saw my first Sociable Lapwing in Israel in the mid 80s, on a great trip with Lars Svensson, Per Alström, Urban Olsson and Dan Zetterström [near-legendary Swedish birders who have gone on to produce field-guides and identification papers] and that was a species I had craved. We saw three different individuals on that trip.

  Since then, I have seen it more times in Israel, once in Sweden and also in Oman. So when I get to that species account in the preparations feelings of nostalgia appear. There is also an interesting development with the satellite tracking and how it led to finding large flocks [eg in 2007], things are happening all the time…

Is there one bird species (not necessarily one of the Critically Endangered ones) that you’d especially like to see that you haven’t, and do you think you’ll ever see it?

• EH: It would be Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris - which is Critically Endangered - and I actually believe I can see one even though some think it is more or less gone now. My dream is to find one in Iran.

Many of the birds in the Yearbooks are threatened by habitat loss, which is happening at a horrendous pace. Can you imagine a time when that situation will be turned around?

• EH: What I worry about most and which hits me personally is what is happening to habitat in Brazil, the Philippines and Indonesia and with some of the species there. Brazil is such a rich country and has so many dedicated professional conservationists, the prerequisites should be good for saving the many species that are threatened there. The Philippines and Indonesia are worrying because the comparatively few conservationists there have so much to face in their battle to save forest. On the positive side is what is happening in New Zealand and how they are working so proactively with their species, from eradicating rats from breeding islands to innovative ways of assisting in breeding and reintroduction. It is amazing what resources such a small country can amass. The US is also working to protect their species quite a bit, but the resources they have are so much greater so it is kind of expected.

You mentioned Brazil. Does it really matter if, say, a bird from the depths of the Amazon that hardly anyone has heard of goes extinct? And can you read a question like that without your heart sinking and thinking, “How can anyone even ask that”?

• EH: The question is relevant. I would not like any creature to go extinct by man. But then there is a more philosophical viewpoint; evolution may cause extinctions, so is it acceptable to stop evolution to save a species or let a species become extinct and let evolution follow its path? And why is man often exempted from the evolution concept, our actions such as pollution are not considered as evolution, yet we are a significant part of the global ecosystem…

  I do not have the answers and I do not yet know what to think, so ask me in a decade’s time instead.

I’m not a published author but I have a feeling that there’s not a lot of profit in a book like the Yearbook (especially if you take into account the hours you spend on it), yet you give about 20% of the cover price of every book sold to the BirdLife ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ (PEP). In the Introduction to the 2008 Yearbook you explain why you decided to support the PEP: for the benefit of the people who haven’t been persuaded to buy the 2008 Yearbook yet would you mind explaining again please?

• EH: Everything ornithological I have been involved in setting up (the tour operator AviFauna, the Swedish Birdline and then Club300) has had a purpose beyond myself just doing fun things and learning from them - that the birds themselves should benefit from our, human, interest in them. The best way to do that is to “tax” every birder buying the book, buying a trip or calling the birdline.

  I am fortunate in having a job for my living and am well-organised enough to be able to squeeze in extra-curricular birdy things between career, family and my other hobbies. So it was obvious to give a significant share of sales to Preventing Extinctions via BirdLife, I could afford that as my livelihood does not depend on if the book sells or not. I think it is better to get the £4 from sales than having a promise that somebody will donate £4 to Preventing Extinctions later, which most likely will not materialise. A tour group going to see [the Critically Endangered] Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi should also contribute to the bird. The end product is also better if the person doing it has his or her focus on conservation and not his/her living.

  I would not mind being paid for the time compiling the book, but that is secondary, the important thing now is that sales of one year finances the printing of the next. Some people said I was crazy to give so much, but there is a big difference between giving 50p or 4 pounds and I wanted to have it the latter way to make that difference.

I’m sure I already know the answer to this but do you ever look at all the money flowing out and think to yourself, “There goes that round-the-world birding trip I’ve always wanted”?

• EH: No, I saw that in my analysis before I started the book, and if I had a problem with that I would not have embarked on producing the book. I was prepared to lose what the production cost was. Wouldn’t have any time for a round-the –world birding trip anyway, I have a book to edit each year!

Are you still happy with your choice of supporting the PEP with the Yearbooks?

• EH: Definitely, it is the most important ornithological global cause right now and by supporting that not just the birds but also habitat and other species are helped. It is important to show governments and communities what volunteers can do and what value their wildlife has.

The Yearbooks obviously do a great job spreading awareness of some very rare and barely-known birds. Is it enough for you to get the information about these birds out to more people, or is getting more people/organisations to join the PEP as/more important?

• EH: More people and above all organisations joining the PEP is more important, but I think the book is a useful vehicle to get them to join and that is where my focus is. It was coincidental that the PEP was launched at the same time as I made my first presentation of the Rare Birds Yearbook to BirdLife in autumn 2006. The timing was perfect, unbeknown to me of course. And I am not sure BirdLife realised that the book could help visualise PEP at the time, but they sure are aware of that now.

I should think they are! The staff at BirdLife are a really great bunch of people. I imagine once they support a project like this the help they give is invaluable?

• EH: Yes, it certainly is and they have been very supportive at all levels in the organisation.

10,000 Birds has now joined the PEP too, and I’m not being obsequious when I say that the trigger was your Yearbooks. Has anyone else been swayed by your tight prose and selection of photos, or are we the first do you know?

• EH: You are actually the first, but there are two more in the pipeline: one is an organisation which started thinking about it before you and will take a positive decision within a few weeks.

Writing about Critically Endangered birds, habitat loss, over-hunting etc must be very depressing some days. Do you ever feel that the Yearbooks are the ‘albatross around your neck’ and might one day drag you under, or do they inspire you to fight even harder instead?

• EH: The book is more like the [Monty Python] skit where John Cleese offers an albatross at the Hollywood Bowl, it draws attention and astonishment that can be used in a positive way. I am not easily depressed, I consider myself realistic and always have a positive outlook. I have had one comment from a depressed reader at the British Bird Fair that this book was much too depressing to buy, but I personally can’t agree with that. The truth must come out even if it can be perceived as depressing, But one can also chose how to perceive it, focus on the depressive side or focus on the positive opportunities there are to become engaged in a cause…

Is the intention to keep producing the Yearbooks and supporting the PEP for years to come, or realistically can you see a cut-off point so that you can support other projects?

• EH: The intention is to grow, increase sales every year and to support PEP until the whole CR category has been downgraded to EN (Endangered)! Personally, I might support other projects, but I feel the book should go to this cause and it is not likely that there will be a change as long as I am in charge. If the book is known among its readers for supporting the PEP, it would be unwise and a bit of a let-down to change.

We’re both in our middle (and most productive hopefully) ages now. You started planning the Yearbooks just a few years ago after many years of birding. I’m sure readers of 10,000 Birds (many of whom are of a similarly tender age to both of us!) would be inspired to think that maybe their best ideas and their best work is still to come, and that a good idea can bring great results whatever your age. Could you give a few words of advice to anyone who looks around and thinks “I’m not expert enough to make a difference” or “No-one’s going to be interested in my ideas”…?

• EH: I am definitely not an expert on these CR birds myself, I have just compiled existing information, repackaged it and (hopefully) given it a popular appeal. Don’t focus on not being a bird expert, there are many of those. Conservation needs people who have other areas of expertise, like marketing, management, communication, a holistic outlook etc. Much of that comes with experience from other sectors. Looking at my management career (no, I did not stay an ATCO all of my career!), it is only now that I’m nearing 50 that I could start a venture like this. I would not have known enough about finance, communication, marketing and publishing to have been able to put together this book at age 25. So, look away from the ‘expert bird things’ and think what your strengths are based on experience and competence, and figure out a way to make use of them in conservation.

So you don’t even really need to be a “conservationist” to make an important contribution to conservation? That’s a great message to send out. Erik, thanks very much for talking to us – especially as we caught you during your holidays! - and all the best for the year to come.

• For more information on Erik’s important and beautiful Rare Birds Yearbooks, go to http://rarebirdsyearbook.com/index.htm

For more information on BirdLife’s ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ please visit the BirdLife website: http://www.birdlife.org/extinction/

To contact Jim Lawrence, ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ Development Manager, please email: species.champions@birdlife.org