World Migratory Bird Day 2024
In the spring and fall, migratory birds fly hundreds of kilometers to tens of thousands of kilometers between breeding and non-breeding grounds. Their migrations vary widely, with some birds crossing continents, others flying across oceans, and some flying halfway around the world. Migrating in flocks of dozens to tens of thousands, migratory birds are not only natural wonders and objects of scientific inquiry, but also being a poetry in the heart of a poet or a painting in the tip of a painter's brush.
However, migratory birds face challenges to their survival, including climate change, habitat loss, and illegal hunting. To help conserve migratory birds and their habitats, the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) wildlife conventions, established World Migratory Bird Day in 2006 to recognize the need to conserve migratory birds and their habitats twice a year, coinciding with their migratory seasons.
A juvenile Black-naped Oriole(Oriolus chinensis) eating a worm ⓒ Soyoung Sung
This year's World Migratory Bird Day 2024 will be celebrated on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, October 12. The theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2024 is "Protect insects, protect birds" to recognize the important ecological relationship between insects and birds. From small sparrows to birds of prey such as Red-footed Falcon(Falco vespertinus), many species of wild birds depend on insects for food. Changes in the microhabitat and timing of insect emergence due to climate change can also affect the reproductive ecology of birds that rely on insects to raise their young, and the cumulative effects of declining reproductive rates can lead to a decline in overall populations.
The Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Korea office continues to work on migratory bird and habitat conservation to combat climate change, preserve biodiversity, and encourage peace in the environment between North and South Korea.
Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) on migration ⓒ Ruslan Urazaliyev
This year, we organized the Inter-Flyways Workshop 2024 in February prior to the CMS COP14 with flyway experts from around the world to discuss practical ways to protect migratory birds and their habitats.
In April, we organized a virtual masterclass on wetland and migratory birds with experts from ACBK, BirdLife International, BNHS, IUCN, WWF-Hong Kong to raise awareness of migratory bird conservation in the Central Asian Flyway.
Also, the HSF Korea is supporting ornithologists in Mongolia and Kazakhstan with scholarships. In July, we are planning to organize a workshop in Mongolia to address issues such as illegal hunting and energy infrastructure along the Central Asian Flyway.
On this World Migratory Bird Day 2024, I hope you can look at the birds around you and their lives. Furthermore, reflect on the impact of your activities, the impact of policies of your countries on nature and realize that small actions can make a difference in the coexistence of birds and humans.