World
Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on 10 May each year to raise awareness about
the need for conservation of migratory birds and their habitats, about the
threats they face, their ecological importance, and about the need for
international cooperation to conserve them.
The Secretariat of
the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)
initiated World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) in 2006 in collaboration with the
Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) of
Wild Animals. The idea arose in America in 1993 whent the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and the Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology celebrated International Migratory Bird Day. In 2005,
the AEWA Secretariat initiated the Migratory Waterbird Days which were held in
Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia. It was decided to broaden the scope into a
commemorative day that celebrates all migrating birds on a global scale, which
started from 2006.
The very first World
Migratory Bird Day was launched on the weekend of 8-9 April 2006 on Ms. Kuki
Gallmann’s famous wildlife reserve ‘Ole Ari Nyiro’ in Laikipia, Kenya. The
central event at the launch was called WINGS. The main day for the international
celebrations is 10 May, but
activities can also be undertaken at any time of the year when the regional
peak of migrations takes place.
For the
2017 theme "Their Future is our Future - A healthy planet for migratory
birds and people", World Migratory Bird Day will highlight the topic
of "Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People." The 2017
theme is linked to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals that
focus on the interdependence of people and nature.
Ferney Manrique
Aragon, a Colombian United Nations Online Volunteer based in China, designed
the poster for the 2017 World Migratory Bird Day. The design includes origami
and futuristic elements, integrating First Nations peoples in Australia, Central
American Kuna, and Native American art forms. The diagonal flying movement of
the bird shows the different stages of species migration.
Their Future is Our Future
The
reason why migratory birds need protection is because migration is a perilous
journey and exposes the animals to a wide range of threats. As migratory birds
depend on a range of sites throughout their journey along their flyway, the
loss of wintering and stopover sites could have a dramatic impact on the
animals' chances of survival.
There are
many different
migration patterns. 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 along lines of latitude to
enjoy the milder coastal climates in winter. Other birds reside in lowlands
during the winter months and move to higher altitudes for the summer.
Flying long distances
involves crossing many borders between countries with differing environmental
policies, legislation, and conservation measures. International cooperation
among governments, NGOs and other stakeholders is required along the entire
flyway of a species in order that knowledge can be shared and conservation
efforts coordinated.
www.worldmigratorybirdday.org
If you would like to look at
other projects by Ferney Manrique Aragon, visit www.trapecista.org or follow him on Instagram
(@manchuriandarkos) and Twitter (@manchuriandarko).
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of
Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet
(2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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