BirdLife International has warned that the loss of natural systems that sustain migratory bird species worldwide is pushing 40% of the birds into decline.
The alert comes as Kenya prepares to host World Migratory Bird Day on May 9th, ahead of the Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi this September—the first time the landmark conservation gathering will be held on African soil. Observed in May and October each year, World Migratory Bird Day aligns with peak migration periods in each hemisphere, encouraging communities around the world to take part in one of nature’s greatest shared phenomena.
According to BirdLife International CEO Martin Harper, birds help our health and ecosystems flourish by transporting nutrients across oceans, encouraging crop growth, and preventing diseases. He notes that the signals coming from great migratory routes are hard to ignore.
“Migratory birds connect us across countries, continents and ocean currents. Protecting the major migratory highways of the world is how we reverse those declines. And when we do, people gain too: cleaner water, food security, flood protection, and more resilience to a changing climate,” said Harper.
A flyway is a natural migration route used by birds as they travel between breeding grounds, feeding areas, and seasonal refuges. These connected pathways stretch across borders and oceans, linking habitats thousands of kilometers apart. If one link in a flyway is damaged, such as a wetland drained or a coastline degraded, entire species can decline.
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.
Paul Matiku, Executive Director at Nature Kenya, says Africa has a central role to play in protecting these globally shared routes.
“Africa is central to some of the world’s great flyways. The health of our wetlands, rangelands and coastlines matters far beyond our borders. When we protect these habitats, we protect birds, biodiversity, and the communities that live alongside them. It is especially meaningful that the Global Flyways Summit will take place in Nairobi this September – the first time the summit is being held on the African continent,” said Dr. Matiku.
