Priority regions and countries for the development of periodic offshore aerial or boat surveys Periodic offshore aerial or boat surveys are the recommended monitoring method for 43 populations (Appendix 1). 26 populations are considered as being already well-monitored (Appendix 2) and 17 are listed in the Priority 1-5 categories (Appendix 12). (This method would be not required for any Priority 6 population). Figure 3.12 shows that the highest number of populations whose population size should be monitored through periodic offshore winter surveys are in the Baltic and North Sea region, followed by a smaller number of populations in the Caspian and Black Sea regions. (Like in case of the IWC, Russia has the highest number of populations to be monitored with this method because the country supports different populations of the same species in the Baltic, Black and Caspian Sea regions. For many of the populations to be monitored by offshore surveys, such as the Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, complementary IWC counts of inland wetlands are also needed. Hence, the offshore surveys are only recommended for the countries with significant numbers wintering in areas that cannot be covered well by land-based surveys and definitely not in the landlocked countries as Figure 3.12 would suggest).
Priority regions and countries for the development of colonial breeding bird monitoring Colonial breeding bird monitoring is the recommended monitoring method for 201 populations (Appendix 1). 64 populations are considered already being well-monitored (Appendix 2) and 16 belong to a Globally Threatened or Near Threatened species and listed as Priorities 1 or 2 populations and another 40 are listed as Priority 3 populations (Appendices 13 and 16). No Priorities 4 or 5 populations were identified as the consequence of our prioritisation methodology (see Section 3.2.2). However, there are another 64 more widespread populations (mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa) whose monitoring should be also improved (Priority 6).
