The UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are scattered across the globe. Most
are small islands or island complexes, occurring from the Caribbean to
the furthest reaches of the South Atlantic, via the Indian and Pacific
Oceans.
In terms of global biodiversity, these territories are remarkably
significant. Among landscapes that range from coral atolls, through
mangroves and dry forests to the ice sheets of Antarctica, the UKOTs
support no fewer than 45 species of birds currently considered to be
globally threatened. They are also home to a third of all the world's
breeding albatrosses, and nine of the world's 17 species of penguin.
In a rapidly changing world, the UKOTs symbolise global crises in
climate and biodiversity. Threats faced by their wildlife range from
mortality of seabirds at sea through industrial fisheries, and on land
as a result of introduced ground predators, to the utter devastation of
hurricanes in the Caribbean, which provide a stark reminder of our
changing climate. The human impact on the wildlife of our planet has
been increasing for centuries, but the next few decades promise to be
critical.
This book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs,
with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation
priorities. Written by authors with a deep connection to the sites, this
book represents an important stocktake of the biological richness of
these special places in the early 21st century.
