World Migratory Bird Day

World Migratory Bird Day campaign will focus on the topic of water and its importance for migratory birds. Water is fundamental to life on our planet. The vast majority of migratory birds rely on aquatic ecosystems during their life cycles. Inland and coastal wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, and ponds are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, and also as places to rest and refuel during their long journeys. Unfortunately, aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened around the world and so are the migratory birds that depend on them. The increasing human demand for water, as well as pollution and climate change, are having a direct impact on the availability of clean water and the conservation status of many migratory birds.  Would you like to help to raise awareness about them and to conserve them and their habitats ?  If so, please read the following list of ideas on how you can take action .

"Water: Sustaining Bird Life" WMBD 2023 Campaign Slogan WMBD around the world Have a look at the global map of events. Which activities are taking place in your country? Join the worldwide celebrations!

  In 2023, the World Migratory Bird Day theme is Water - Sustaining Bird Life . Water is fundamental to sustaining life on our planet. Virtually all migratory birds rely on water and its associated habitats at some point during their life cycles. Lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, and coastal waters are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting and as places to rest and refuel during long seasonal migrations. Unfortunately, these aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened around the world, and so are the migratory birds that depend on them. The increasing human demand for water, as well as pollution and climate change, is having a direct impact on the quantity and quality of water resources and on the conservation status of many migratory bird species. In 2023, the importance of water is the focus of World Migratory Bird Day, an annual global campaign that celebrates the migration of birds across countries and continents. Throughout the year, we will spread ...

Bird Migration involves long and often dangerous journeys . Migratory birds fly hundreds and thousands of kilometres to find the best ecological conditions and habitats for feeding, breeding and raising their young. When conditions at breeding sites become unfavourable, they fly to regions where conditions are better.  The majority of birds migrate from northern breeding areas to southern wintering grounds . However, some birds breed in southern parts of Africa and migrate to northern wintering grounds, or horizontally, to enjoy the milder coastal climates in winter. The Arctic tern wins that award.  The Arctic tern, an elegant white seabird, migrates farther than any other bird. It travels from pole to pole. It breeds on the shores of the Arctic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. Then, it heads to the Southern Hemisphere to continue its life of endless summertime. In fact, this bird also sees more daylight than any other. North American Arctic terns fly about 24,000 ...

The day is marked on the second Saturday of May and October ( 13 May and 14 October in 2023), to reflect the cyclical nature of bird migration . The arrival and departure dates of migration have been consistent over the years as birds use environmental cues, including temperature , to determine when they should take flight. However, due to global warming , their annual migration rhythm is changing. Many migratory birds have to alter their routes, shorten or completely cancel their journey due to changing temperatures .   

The World Migratory Bird Day is this year celebrated under the theme “ Water: Sustaining Bird Life ”. Migratory birds require water such as lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and coastal wetlands for migration as they provide a place to rest and refuel, and for nesting and breeding.  2023’s World Migratory Bird Day highlights how essential water is for migratory birds. ‎ Theme 2023 · ‎ World Migratory Bird Day 2023 · ‎ About · ‎ How it all began - the History

Bird Migration involves long journeys and flight is one of the most demanding form of locomotion,  with days of continuous flapping of the birds’ wings without a chance to rest. This requires migratory birds to store large deposits of fat prior to departure . Birds’ heart rate s can increase by 400% and their core body temperature has been recorded to be as high as 44.4˚C in flight. This overheating causes birds to stop flying , which in turn can be problematic if the environment is not suitable for landing or if birds run into a predator.  ‎ General patterns  · ‎ Nocturnal migratory behavior  · ‎ Long-distance migration

Many birds follow distinct pathways when migrating , called Flyways. The UK and Ireland are located on the East Atlantic Flyway , which is a migration path for birds stretching from Russia, Greenland and Canada all the way to Southern Africa.  Physical landmarks , such as mountain ranges, river valleys or coastlines , are used by several birds to guide them. Others travel more directly, even if this means crossing dangerous stretches of desert or sea . Some smaller birds cross the Mediterranean Sea wherever possible by continuous flapping, while many larger birds opt for the narrowest points of crossing. Major global bird migration routes to the Arctic. Bird species that migrate to the Arctic coasts and wetlands arrive from nearly every corner of the planet. During the summer, the sun never or nearly never sets, resulting in a short but intensive breeding season when millions of migratory birds arrive in the Arctic to breed. The majority of these birds seek the wetlands and co...

It has been shown that migrating birds are able to orientate by the sun during the day, by the stars at night, and by the geomagnetic field at any time. Some species can even detect polarised light, which many migrating birds may use for navigation at night . Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south, along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by humans, and is driven primarily by the availability of food. The Secret Routes of Migratory birds | Documentary . Every year millions of migratory birds make their epic journey across Europe - south in the autumn, north in early spring. But recently there have been fewer in our skies, some species have even vanished entirely.  What could be discouraging them from flying over our lands? For over twenty years Christian Moullec has watched and studied birds. He learned to pilot a microl...

  They act as  agents of pest control , and a source of food for other wildlife and, in turn, they protect crops and pollinate plants.  

What are the threats to migratory birds? Threats to this species include predation by introduced cats, genets and rats, fisheries by-catch and climate change. Approximately 2,000 of the 11,000 Bird species  in the world migrate. In the European Union,  39% of bird species are in poor and bad conservation status . In the United Kingdom, more than a quarter (29%) of birds assessed are under threat. 

Waterbirds are species ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle. But these aquatic ecosystems are under threat around the world. Increasing human demand for water as well as pollution and climate change endanger these precious ecosystems and the migratory birds that depend on them. More widely, invasive alien specie s, habitat loss , oil spills , poorly positioned wind turbines and power lines , and plastic pollution are among the threats all migratory birds face .

  Flying long distances involves crossing many borders between countries with differing measures. The legal framework and coordinating instruments necessary for such cooperation is provided by multilateral environmental agreements.   We can also take individual action :   -Do not hunt endangered bird species   - Recycle plastic and never litter   - Pick up trash in freshwater areas   - Refrain from buying meat or products made from the leather or feathers of  migratory bird species