Conservationists have raised alarm that more than 40 percent of migratory bird species worldwide are now in decline, according to Martin Harper, Chief Executive Officer of BirdLife International. Harper emphasized that the signals from the world's great migratory routes are impossible to ignore.
Role of Migratory Birds in Ecosystems
Migratory birds play a vital role in ecosystems by transporting nutrients across oceans, pollinating plants, spreading seeds, and helping to sustain crop growth while controlling disease outbreaks. The World Migratory Bird Day, observed annually in May and October to coincide with migration peaks in each hemisphere, serves as an opportunity to invite communities to engage with one of nature's greatest shared phenomena. In May, species along routes such as the African–Eurasian Flyway leave the warmth of Africa and travel north to breed.
Protecting Flyways to Reverse Declines
Harper stated in a release that safeguarding the world's major migratory highways is the surest way to reverse these declines. He added that when declines are reversed, people benefit from cleaner water, enhanced food security, flood protection, and greater resilience to climate change. The foundation noted that the day provides a chance to better understand the broader impact of birds' natural migration routes, known as global flyways.
“Birds use these routes as they travel between breeding grounds, feeding areas, and seasonal refuges. Around the world, they follow four major flyways on land: the African–Eurasian, East Asian–Australasian, Americas, and Central Asian. They also follow six marine flyways. These pathways stretch across borders and oceans, joining habitats that lie thousands of kilometers apart. When one link in a flyway is broken—a wetland drained or a coastline degraded—whole species can decline. Some can vanish for good, as the recent extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew reminds us,” the foundation said.
Africa's Central Role
Dr. Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya, emphasized that Africa has a central role in preserving these shared routes, noting that the continent lies at the heart of some of the world's great flyways. Co-hosted by BirdLife International and Nature Kenya, the Global Flyways Summit will bring together leaders from science, policy, finance, business, and civil society to agree on actions needed to protect migratory birds and the ecosystems they depend on. BirdLife scientists will also launch the new edition of the State of the World's Birds report, focusing on flyways and offering the latest picture of bird populations and what they reveal about the broader health of nature.
