The International Politics of Bird Conservation assesses international cooperation on migratory and endangered birds in different regions of the world. Robert Boardman illustrates that - although birds are protected in international treaties, by national legislation and through the projects of non-governmental organizations - the threats to many species have mounted. Threats arise from ecologically inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices, the spread of cities and the draining of wetlands, among other factors. The author focuses on regional cooperation between governments, NGOs and international organizations. It questions the effectiveness of international cooperation on the protection of birds, particularly migratory and endangered species. The rise of conservation-related scientific research and the historical evolution of bird protection efforts are discussed, as are regional developments in Africa, the Americas, the Arctic, Antarctica, Asia, Australasia, and Europe. The author concludes by identifying emerging trends in environmental governance and suggesting reforms to strengthen these arrangements. This book will prove a fascinating read for researchers, academics, organizations and specialists in a wide range of fields including: bird conservation and wildlife protection, environmental law and policy, global governance, regionalism and transborder cooperation.

Robert Boardman's study of the changing relations of Russia and China with the UN system is a welcome addition to post-Cold War literature on international organisations. As he notes in his acknowledgements, 'studying constantly moving targets is never easy' and both his 'targets' have certainly been moving very fast. Nevertheless, one of the strengths of this book is its delineation of the historical continuities as well as the recent changes in Soviet/Russian and Chinese attitudes toward multilateralism in general and the UN in particular... This timely study should be recommended reading for undergraduate courses in International Relations...lucidly written and admirably succinct' '- Millennium: Journal of International Relations