At the beginning of 2012 some disturbing news about the Aquatic Warbler population was reported.

The island is known for being possibly the most important breeding area for the Aquatic Warbler.

The number of Aquatic Warblers on the island depends on the water level and the available vegetation.

The MoU protect the population of Aquatic Warbler in all range States.

The Aquatic Warbler is the rarest and the only internationally threatened passerine bird found in mainland Europe.

ARKive - images and movies of the aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)

Similar birds Reed Warbler, Aquatic Warbler.

Less conspicuous are the Aquatic Warblers migrating here from Europe; for these, the park is the single most important wintering site yet discovered [1].

Signatories to the Aquatic Warbler MoU:

All Signatories decide to work closely together to improve the conservation status of the Aquatic Warbler throughout its breeding, migrating and wintering range.

They can be easier to confuse with Aquatic Warblers due to an apparent pale central crown stripe contrasting with the darker edges.

Bluethroats in the cabbage patches, aquatic warblers in the drainage ditches, harlequin duck in the harbour and snowy owl on the hill.

These plains are habitats for birds such as the Black Stork, the Aquatic Warbler, and the Corn Crake.

The Red-footed Falcon, Stone Curlew, Great Bustard and Aquatic Warbler are represented by breeding populations.

In 2007, a BirdLife International team discovered a key site within the Aquatic Warbler's wintering grounds in West Africa, which was completely unknown until then.

The Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus.

This MoU provides the basis for governments, NGO's and scientists to work together to save the Aquatic Warbler, Europe's rarest songbird.

Meetings of Signatories are organized regularly to review the conservation status of the Aquatic Warbler and the implementation of the MoU and Action Plan.

During this meeting the geographical scope of the MoU was expanded to include Mauritania and Morocco, since these countries seem to be important stop-over sites for the Aquatic Warbler.

Millions of birds and hundreds of species travel through this area each year, including some internationally endangered species: the white-tailed eagle, the barnacle goose, cranes, dunlins and aquatic warblers.

The main objective of the Action Plan is to maintain the Aquatic Warbler throughout its range and, in medium to long term, promote the expansion of the breeding population to other suitable areas.

Finally, a new International Species Action Plan for the Aquatic Warbler, prepared by CMS's partner BirdLife International on behalf of the European Union, was adopted.

Measures to be implemented include hydrological management, removal of shrubs and overgrowth from wet meadows and mires and initiation of extensive grawing and considerate mowing of Aquatic Warbler habitats.

The main threat the Aquatic Warbler is facing is the loss of habitat due to the decline of traditional, extensive agriculture and overgrowing of the species' habitat with reeds and bushes or trees.

The MoU aims to safeguard the Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) a small migratory waterbird that is estimated to have declined sharply at a rate equivalent to 40 per cent in the last 10 years.

ARKive - images and movies of the aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)

The Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus.

The MoU aims to safeguard the Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) a small migratory waterbird that is estimated to have declined sharply at a rate equivalent to 40 per cent in the last 10 years.