The Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme is dedicated to the conservation of South Africa’s indigenous bird species, based on scientific research and management. BirdLife South Africa’s Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme has a staff complement of six permanent employees and several contractors.

A focused conservation strategy will guide the Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme’s (TBCP) work over the next five-year period (2019 – 2024). At a global level, the work undertaken by the TBCP groups within BirdLife International’s four pillars, i.e. to save species with the objectives to prevent the extinction of threatened species and to keep common birds common, as well as to promote ecological sustainability and positive change for people. The TBCP’s vision is to conserve diverse and sustainable bird populations, recognising the crucial role that they play in maintaining balanced terrestrial ecosystems.

Our mission is to identify, prevent and/or reverse negative trends in terrestrial birds through science- and community-based conservation initiatives.

Where needed, sound scientific research and/or monitoring are undertaken on a selected number of threatened terrestrial birds in order to determine reasons for their conservation status and measures needed to reverse negative population trends