World Migratory Bird Day 2017 – their future is our future

Statement issued by the organisers of World Migratory Bird Day:

Migratory birds are indicators of a healthy planet and functioning ecosystems. Land reclamation, habitat degradation and unsustainable hunting disrupt the services that interconnected ecosystems provide to all life on Earth. Long distance migrants depend on healthy ecosystem networks.

The Red Knot undertakes a 14,000-kilometre journey from the Southern Hemisphere to the Arctic Circle to breed. Habitat loss at stopover sites along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the Atlantic Coast have led to a sharp population decline, reaching 80% in the Americas since 2000.

Migratory animals and people share the same planet and thus, the same limited resources. This is reflected in this year's theme, Their Future is our Future - A healthy planet for migratory birds and people.

Sustainable management of natural resources is needed, including the conservation of migratory birds. The campaign will link the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations and migratory birds on a global scale.

Word Migratory Bird Day shows by the example of seven species of migratory birds – from the Barn Swallow to the critically endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper – of how habitat loss, over-harvesting and climate change can seriously affect their fate. The campaign calls on people across the globe to protect the birds and the planet to build the future we want.

World Migratory Bird Day is a global campaign to celebrate migratory birds and call for better protection. Individuals, groups and institutions organise events to draw attention to the threats they face.

Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) © Mark Anderson

Migratory Birds in Flight – Common Cranes © Jussi Mononen

Spoon-billed Sandpiper © Smith Sutibut

White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) © Sergey Dereliev (UNEP/AEWA)