Held on Saturday 14th May 2022
Bird Migration is a periodic passage or seasonal journey of various species of birds from one region toanother in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Approximately 1800 of world's 10,000 bird species are long-distance migrants. Some birds migrate within a country while others migrate over international boundaries. As one of the best researched taxa, birds serve as vital indicators for the state of biodiversity and the biological health of the ecosystems they inhabit. If a bird species becomes threatened with extinction it is often a clear sign that the conditions of the required habitats have changed and that other species that depend on them may also be affected. Migratory Birds are part of the biological diversity of our world and the threat of extinction faced by individual bird species is a reflection of the larger extinction crisis threatening other species and the natural diversity that underpins all life on earth. Through the help of thousands of committed individuals, organisations and government authorities - World Migratory Bird Day has turned into a truly global commemorative event, which helps turn the world's attention to the wonders of bird migration and the need for their conservation in a concentrated and global scale each year.
History
Originally, the idea of designating a day for migratory birds arose in the United States in 1993, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology initiated celebrations of the ‘International Migratory Bird Day' (IMBD), which encourages bird festivals and education programmes across the United States and other parts of the Americas. Although this day continues to be successfully celebrated in the western hemisphere, something similar was missing for the rest of the world. World Migratory Bird Day was initiated by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) Secretariat in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in 2006.
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary in 2005, the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) - a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) administered environmental treaty, initiated the Migratory Waterbird Days (MWD) which were held in Africa, Europe and parts of Asia. As this event was well received in the African-Eurasian region, the idea arose to broaden the scope into a commemorative day which celebrates the phenomenon of migration and all migrating birds, including waterbirds on a global scale. Hence, the very first World Migratory Bird Day was launched by AEWA and CMS on the weekend of 8-9 April 2006 on Ms. Kuki Gallmann’s famous wildlife reserve ‘Ole Ari Nyiro’ in Laikipia, Kenya. The central launching event called WINGS was inspired by the phenomenon of Bird Migration and was attended by a number of international personalities from the worlds of art, business and conservation. It took place on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya and was hosted by Ms. Kuki Gallman, a famous writer and conservationist. Altogether, 68 other WMBD related events took place in all corners of the world to support the launch and the very first WMBD campaign. Since then, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) has been celebrated in an increasing number of countries and has steadily grown in popularity each year. WMBD is also supported by BirdLife International, Wetlands International, The Partnership for the East Asian - Australasian Flyway etc.
Events
- While the annual WMBD campaigns are prepared and coordinated centrally by the AEWA and CMS Secretariats, national authorities and NGOs worldwide, in particular BirdLife International and its partners, help to encourage individuals and organisations around the world to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and to incorporate each year's theme into their awareness-raising programmes and festivals.
- On the second weekend each May, people around the world take action and organise public events such as bird festivals, education programmes and birdwatching excursions to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day.
- World Migratory Bird Day activities take place in many different countries and places, but are all linked through a single global campaign and theme. Anyone interested in organising an event to mark World Migratory Bird Day is encouraged to register their planned activity on this website - http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=8. In this way, individual events can be shared with others around the world and help inspire them to get involved.
Themes - Every year WMBD focuses on a different topic which aims to raise awareness related to various issues related to Migratory Birds.
Themes
2006 : Migratory birds need our support now - The theme of the first World Migratory Bird Day in 2006 became “Migratory birds need our support now!” to counter some of the negative and often unbalanced publicity of migratory birds spreading Avian Influenza (H5N1) around the world.
2007 : Migratory birds in a changing climate - This Theme was chosen to focus the world’s attention on the plight migratory birds are facing due to global warming. WMBD activities highlighted the effects that increasing temperatures, altered rainfall and vacillating weather conditions have on migratory birds. It was celebrated in more than 58 countries and with more than 100 different events all across the planet on 12-13 May.
2008 : Migratory Birds – Ambassadors for Biodiversity - The Theme helped spread the idea of migratory birds as messengers for the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. It was celebrated for the third time on 10-11 May in 59 countries around the world.
2009 : Barriers to Migration - The Theme was chosen to raise awareness on man-made barriers and demonstrated that obstacles like wind turbines, power lines and tall buildings pose a threat to migratory birds. 130 registered events took place in over 50 countries around the world from 9-10 May.
2010 : Save migratory birds in crisis – every species counts! - The Theme aims to raise awareness on globally threatened migratory birds, with a particular focus on those on the very edge of extinction – the Critically Endangered migratory birds. It was observed on 8-9 May.
Holiday Status - It is not a Holiday.
