Of some 10 000 bird species in the world, 514 are to be found in Europe. Of these, twenty-six European globally threatened species risk extinction if their populations are not actively built up. This series of action plans for Europe"s most threatened species is the result of a joint project carried out by BirdLife International in collaboration with Wetlands International, involving over 370 experts in almost every European country. The project was funded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the European Commission"s LIFE programme. This book will be of interest to conservationists at both national and local level, educators and all those interested in the conservation of Europe"s bird heritage.