Fighting for Birds

Mark Avery worked for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for about 25 years, starting as a research scientist and leaving, in April 2011, as Director of Conservation. As such he was at the forefront of many of the major then-current conservation issues facing birds, and indeed other wildlife, and was often called upon by the media, policy makers and many others for comments and to make decisions which affected conservationists generally and the RSPB in particular. Many of these decisions will continue to have effects for many years to come. 

His views on some of the issues have been aired on his blog (www.markavery.info/blog) since 2009, but only since he left the employment of the RSPB has he been able to be completely frank and not necessarily follow the RSPB line. Fighting for Birds follows on from this and sets out to clarify and summarize many of these major issues, to put forward Avery’s own take on them, and to note how far some of them are from being resolved.

He states early on that the book is not an autobiography but you would be forgiven for disagreeing when reading the first four chapters. These describe his formative years and how he got into birdwatching and natural history and then became a professional ecologist, studying bats (Chiroptera) as well as birds and working with several leading scientists in the process. However, this is really just setting the scene for the other 13 chapters which are the meat of the book, and should be required reading for anyone with aspirations to be an advocate for conservation, and especially for anyone who has any influence on environmental policy. Also of course, anyone interested in conservation and the environment will get a lot of information and some forthright views both on the issues themselves and on how they should be tackled in the corridors of power where it matters.

Chapters labelled such as ‘Is it right ever to be nasty to birds?’, ‘The raptor haters’, ‘Trying to change the world’, ‘What we need to do to win’ and ‘Climate’ show that he tackles some of the main issues facing bird conservation and indeed the worldwide environment. We get a personal view which at times can be very hardhitting and critical of both people and organizations, many of whom purport to be ‘doing good’. Many ordinary birdwatchers and conservationists will certainly not agree with him at times but, with such cases as the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus controversy in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, he clearly states the various opposing views, accepting for example that Hen Harriers do eat quite a lot of grouse and that therefore there is a major issue to be tackled. Compromises have to be made at times, though in this case his own stance is clear: he is opposed to driven grouse shooting. 

Not all is polemic though. There are chapters on the role of nature reserves and special places, on reintroductions, on advocacy (how and how not to do it!) and on farmland birds, and he does not flinch from the RSPB with a chapter entitled ‘Whither the RSPB?’ which describes both its current state and what are his hopes for its future – he is a life member. There are tensions and conflicts, both within and between organizations and often with those seemingly on the same side. The trick for all of them, having weighed up the evidence, is to come out at the end with a clear direction. I suspect nobody will agree with everything he says, but there is a lot of common sense here as well as what amounts to a history of the conservation movement over the last 25 years or so. Some of the major issues have a separate chapter – see above – but several bits which did not quite fit into any other chapter are collected together in Chapter 14 as ‘Snippets’.

There are one or two minor errors, but they do not detract from what is a mighty good read. Chris Packham in his Foreword says he read it in one go and I know he is not alone in that. However, reading it like this is not essential and indeed dipping into specific chapters on particular topics usually produces a useful summary of a major issue, spiced with Mark’s general good humour and interesting and often amusing anecdotes.

-- Peter Lack * IBIS *

In Fighting for Birds author Mark Avery draws upon his 25 years at the RSPB (most recently as conservation director) to illustrate some of the challenges facing conservation.

He takes a down-to-earth approach on some controversial topics, including the culling of ruddy ducks to protect white-headed ducks, and whether it would ever be justified to control the numbers of birds of prey. He is not afraid to criticise or name and shame, and questions in particular game keepers and shooting sports.

Fighting for Birds is informative about the life of a conservationist, and about the legal and social context in which environmental organisations work. For example, he puts into context terms such as Species Protection Area, which previously existed as isolated phrases floating in my head. He also discusses individual examples of birds he has studied or worked with, such as roseate terns and red kites, plus everything from managing a nature reserve to influencing Government.

Avery’s passion comes through very strongly, and it is hard not to feel motivated about conservation after reading the book. If you know an aspiring young conservationist, this book will be a perfect present.

-- Rebecca Nesbit * The Biologist, Vol 60, No2 *

This is a book everyone should read, be they already an ardent conservationist or, equally, perhaps more importantly, if they have no particular sympathies with wildlife or environmentalism. There are a number of reasons why I personally enjoyed it so much. I worked for the RSPB for much of the period within which the narrative takes place, I admit to sharing the same opinions presented within the book and I also know the author!! Such being the case I suppose it's hardly likely I would find fault with its contents (I don't!), indeed it's slightly embarrassing to admit I agree with virtually all which is said in its 300 or so pages. I'd actually go a step further and suggest that its title should be a necessary reference source within every current academic conservation and environmental course due to its pragmatic style and up to date treatment. Additionally it would behove many whose managerial duties and responsibilities touch on the above subject areas to read it,  indeed,and in particular, it could be considered a compulsory text for those within Government, DEFRA and Planning Authority staff  and many within the agricultural industry!!

So why such unqualified support?

The reader will soon find that the pragmatic and logical approach taken towards some pretty hefty issues is consistent and is combined with a writing style that is light and entertaining, educational and presents summarized information which leads the reader to a better understanding of the various subjects under examination. I certainly appreciated certain matters better than I had done previously and I'd worked within "the industry"! Such success is not an easy one to achieve within a "factual book", but is something the author repeats with admirable ease.

Much of this is accomplished by the issues being set out in a personal context that ensures the "journey", which also embraces the beginnings of the author's interest in natural history, coupled with his more critical involvements in later years, is recounted in a very direct way.  There's humour too. The stories linked to the Reverend Gilbert White's research on bats and the observed activities, by the author, of biologically enthusiastic Bee-eaters on the Camargue are just two amongst many which made me smile. But there is much, much more which is equally as entertaining within the book. Aspects of contemporary conservation "history", cameo stories of personalities who themselves have played major parts within both research and policy advocation undertaken over the years and explanations related to the outcomes of various practical initiatives applied to different conservation challenges are all presented in an informative and engaging way.

In short this is a book that must be read as widely as possible. As an extremely well-constructed foundation dealing with the challenges confronting conservation, and the choices and approaches we might apply to them, this is a "blueprint" that should steer our thoughts and actions for some time to come.

On a more light hearted note I have also to mention the following!! I purchased my copy of the book last year, but then had two-three months with eye trouble within which time I did little or no serious reading. Throughout that time I had left the book out on a table as a reminder that I must return to it at an early stage. As you can see the book's cover carries a superimposed photograph of Mark Avery himself. During the whole of that time I was conscious of a gaze which followed me when passing, as if in mild rebuke for being ignored, but it served as an additional reminder that I should read it at the earliest opportunity!!  Well, it's been worth the wait and I've also every intention of reading it again at some point such is the overwhelming value of its contents. A real pleasure, a great read  and something I have no compunction in recommending to everyone, particularly birders. The various subjects presented in separate chapters, themselves replete with endless examples relevant to the case being considered, serve to illustrate why we should all find time to "Fight for birds", a mission that the book more than successfully achieves.

-- John S Armitage * A Birding Odyssey *

This is an in-depth book that explores how the conservation world works and explains just how difficult it can be to save bird species. Avery worked for the RSPB for 25 years and became their Conservation Director, so he is in a pretty good position to talk about saving species. The book starts off with a tour of Mark’s formative early years getting into the world of birds but this is not an autobiography. It is about thoughts, opinions and ideas on how to work with, protect and keep species and special places alive and well. One gets the feeling that to truly express his views Mark could only do so once he had left the RSPB.

“We are often told that nature conservation is a luxury we cannot afford when it stands in the way of economic progress…”

Fighting For Birds is a book that lays out how NGO’s work, how politicians support or don’t support projects, who to speak to, how to speak to them and what to speak about once in a position to do so. It is a political business looking after our natural world with meeting after meeting, a watching of p’s and q’s, talk and counter talk and the smoothing of feathers between various parties. Avery’s views are opinionated and I like this. His thoughts on hunting and suggestions of how to stop the continual murder of birds of prey in the UK appeal to my sensibilities. The persecution of raptors is a disgusting sideshow that accompanies events like grouse shoots and the cultivation of grouse moors at the expense of all other creatures and habitat is genuinely sickening, although grouse moor managers will tell you a different story as to how their work actually helps biodiversity. Avery sets out many different options for the situation and ultimately indicates that the banning of grouse shoots may be the only way to save so many of our birds of prey, particularly the Hen Harrier, which is now down to the last breeding pair in England. He is probably right.

Fighting for Birds is an extraordinary work. It explains most aspects of conservation in a succinct, intelligible way that makes one want to pick up the gauntlet and do what one can to join the fight for birds. Inspirational and enlightening it may be but most of all it shows exactly where we are in our race to save our wildlife and urges us all to do more. You want to be a conservationist? Then read this book.

-- Ceri Levy * The Bird Effect Diary *

Did you see the Black-winged Pratincole at Cley in 1974? No, me neither, but Mark Avery was one of the three finders. Not many people know that! But I think most people know that he spent 25 years working for the RSPB, much of it as Conservation Director, where he was instrumental in shaping the way the Society protected birds. In fact there are 17,000 internet references to his work there - an indication that he had a lot to say. And so he should – the last two decades have seen major changes in the way our countryside has been managed and the way that those in authority have responded to the implications.

Often a controversial figure in the media, he could always see both sides to an argument but he did not let that weaken his position. Having observed him in action during my own time on the RSPB Council I would say he had a rare knack of being prepared to say what everyone in the room was thinking, particularly when they were lost for words. That last attribute can be a strength or a weakness, and one rarely displayed by those whose first interest is in their career path. Perhaps that is why he decided to change his own career path last year to become a freelance writer and consultant?

In this book we learn about his early interest in birds and wildlife, followed by research at Oxford and Aberdeen and his early days at the RSPB. But for me the most interesting chapters are those that outline his views on some the key issues in bird conservation – namely hunting, loss of protected areas, agricultural intensification, reintroductions, establishing nature reserves, climate change, persecution of raptors, understanding the infrastructure of conservation and lobbying those in power. He also gives his view about the future of the RSPB. There are a great many stories in each chapter, with personal anecdotes from interactions with various organisations including the Royal Family, and I know for sure that Mark could have written at least as many again, although perhaps his lawyers advised him not to!

When you read a chapter entitled “Is it ever right to be nasty to birds?” you immediately sense that those who carry a gun in preference to binoculars are likely to find themselves under unfriendly fire in this book. Indeed Mark states clearly “A person goes down in my estimation a little if they derive pleasure from killing things unnecessarily”. On the other hand he is in favour of Ruddy Duck control because there does not seem to be an alternative solution to the conservation problem that they pose. Hunters would describe that as double standards, although to me it makes sense if you can really justify the conservation threat.

He is worried about our protected areas as often these ar