White-bellied Heron Working Group

The White-bellied Heron Working Group is a collaboration of individuals and organisations – including Synchronicity Earth partners ATREE, RSPN, and Samiran Patgiri dedicated to increasing and coordinating efforts to protect the Critically Endangered white-bellied heron. The group aims to provide a space for sharing information on conservation efforts for the species, elevate its profile, enable and mobilise more research and funding, and ultimately ensure a viable wild population for the long-term survival of the species. 

 Before the group was formed, those working to protect the species felt isolated., Researchers struggled to share findings, funding was scarce, and significant gaps in information about the heron’s biology, ecology, and behaviour created challenges in devising effective conservation strategies. In December 2014, a workshop brought together various experts working to protect the white-bellied heron. The workshop identified the need to establish a working group to ensure the implementation of species conservation. 

© RSPN Bhutan

The Working Group serves as a platform to ensure that conservation efforts led by practitioners are strategic, coordinated, and collaborative. It provides a space to strategize, align efforts, and exchange knowledge. While the Working Group facilitates these processes, the on-the-ground conservation work is carried out by the members of the group.  

 Synchronicity Earth’s partners who are members of the Working Group are supported by the Asian Species Programme. The funding supports research in North-Eastern India and ex situ conservation in Bhutan, including studies in Namdapha and other potential habitats for the White-bellied Heron.