Crowdfunding appeal to help Yellow-breasted Bunting

A crowdfunding appeal to preserve Yellow-breasted Bunting in Russia is nearing its end, with the team still some way short of reaching its financial goal.

Launched in 2018 by The Lake Baikal Foundation, the project to protect and study the population of the Red-listed species around Lake Baikal is underway, with researchers closely monitoring the drastically decreasing population. The project – which has overseen habitat management and ringing studies – last year saw a rise to 34 males from just 19 in 2017.

Yellow-breasted Bunting used to be one of the most widespread bird species in Russia and – as recently as the 1990s – its breeding range stretched the entirety of Siberia, from Finland and the south-western border of Ukraine in the west to Kamchatka and Japan in the east. The main reason for its decline has been the widespread trapping of the species for food in its wintering areas and on migration routes across South-East Asia, as well as habitat degradation.

The Selenga Delta is one of the last significant breeding locations for Yellow-breasted Bunting and the project has undergone many studies there, including the fitting of satellite tags in order to better study the migration routes. For the 2019 studies, the researchers have launched a crowdfunding scheme in order to generate funds and are in need of support from donors worldwide. You can make a donation by clicking here.