“Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation” is the theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2018. This year, the campaign will have a new global dimension, bringing together the world’s main migration corridors, also called flyways, for celebrations all across the world — and for the first time, with two peak campaign days in the year.

As birds migrate during different seasons throughout the year, World Migratory Bird Day will be observed on both the second Saturdays of May and October, making it possible for individuals and organizations to present educational activities and awareness-raising events in their countries at the time of migration.

Many World Migratory Bird Day celebrations in the U.S. and Canada will be held on Saturday, May 12. Click here to find events near you.

In the Caribbean and South America, events are slated for Saturday, October 13. The poster for this year’s event is shown here. It features the following species, beginning at 12 o’clock and going clockwise:

Swainson’s Hawk • Golden-winged Warbler • Yellow-fronted Parrot • American Redstart • Red Knot • Northern Goshawk • Black Tern • Little Blue Heron • Sage Thrasher • Rufous Hummingbird • Dickcissel • Northern Pintail

The African-Eurasian Flyway, the Americas Flyway and the East-Asian Australasian Flyway link breeding, stopover, and wintering sites of billions of migratory birds. Habitat loss, illegal hunting, collision with and electrocution by power lines as well as pollution and poisoning put their survival at risk.

Migratory birds cross international borders during their migrations and require quality habitats and a network of suitable sites to support their annual journeys. International cooperation across the entire migratory range is therefore essential. International treaties such as the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Waterbirds (AEWA), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), one of the oldest wildlife protection laws, are indispensable for coordinated conservation actions among countries.

For the last 25 years, the Colorado-based group Environment for the Americas (EFTA) organized International Migratory Bird Day. Recently, EFTA partnered with CMS and AEWA to unify their respective campaigns, IMBD and WMBD, and are working together to organize a new World Migratory Bird Day. This year, they are uniting for the first time to emphasize the importance of migratory birds globally and are calling for a better protection of the birds and their habitats.

Find birding festivals and events in our online calendar or submit your own

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