World Migratory Bird Day: How aviary species warn humans about the condition of the earth

More than 40 percent of bird species are now in decline.

And just as the world observes the World Migratory Bird Day on the 9^th of May 2026, conservation experts reveal that the aviary species can actually speak and have been sounding warning to humankind for ages.

But the world keeps ignoring the birds.

Tell it to the birds

Martin Harper, the Chief Executive Officer of BirdLife International, says the signals that are coming from the great birds’ migratory routes are hard to ignore.

As migration peaks this May, BirdLife International says that the changing journeys of the world’s birds reveal real strain on the natural systems that all humans and wildlife depend on.

“Migratory birds carry nutrients across oceans, pollinate plants, spread seeds, and help keep crops growing and diseases in check,” says Harper.

“Migratory birds connect us across countries, continents and ocean currents and yet, worldwide, more than 40 percent of bird species are now in decline,” he points out.

“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.”

Observed in May and October each year, World Migratory Bird Day matches the peaks of migration in each hemisphere and invites communities to take part in one of nature’s greatest shared stories.

In May, species along routes such as the African–Eurasian Flyway leave the warmth of Africa and travel north to nest.

The highways of the sky

BirdLife International, the only global partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet, says the day is a chance to better understand the broader impact of birds’ natural migration routes, known as global flyways.

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 kilometres apart.

A Bird idea

When one link in a flyway is broken, a wetland drained or a coastline degraded, whole species can decline.

Some can vanish for good, as the recent extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew reminds us.

“Migration is one of the wonders of the natural world. It also carries a very practical lesson,” Harper adds. “International challenges need international cooperation.

Experts say protecting flyways helps bring birds back. It also brings real benefits to people: healthier wetlands, more reliable food, and stronger resilience as the climate keeps shifting.”

Africa at the heart of a global migration story

One of the world’s most important migration systems is the African–Eurasian Flyway, which links Africa, Europe and Asia. Along this route, birds travel from the Arctic to southern Africa and back again.

Dr Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya, the BirdLife Partner in Kenya, says Africa has a central role to play in keeping these shared routes alive.

“Africa is at the heart of some of the world’s great flyways,” Matiku says.

“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.”

Co-hosted by BirdLife International and Nature Kenya, the Global Flyways Summit brings together leaders from science, policy, finance, business and civil society.

Together, they will agree on the action needed to protect migratory birds and the ecosystems they depend on.

BirdLife scientists will also launch the new edition of the State of the World’s Birds report, with a focus on flyways.

It offers the latest picture of bird populations and what they reveal about the wider health of nature.

How can the public get involved?

To mark World Migratory Bird Day, BirdLife International encourage people to partake this worldwide celebration of birdwatching and citizen science by heading outdoors to watch birds and possibly record whatever they see.

“You don’t need to be an expert to care about birds,” Harper concludes.

“When we notice the wildlife around us, we start to understand the condition of the places we all rely on. Birds give us both a warning and an opportunity. They show us where nature needs urgent action, and where there is still hope.”

Too Bird

Along the African-Eurasian Flyway route, for instance, birds travel from the Arctic to southern Africa and back again. Every leg of the journey depends on a chain of healthy wetlands, coastlines, estuaries and inland habitats.

The white stork, famous for returning to the same nest year after year, depends on these places.

So do flamingos, whose movements track the health of wetland systems. Both show how closely migration is tied to the condition of landscapes far beyond any single country’s borders.

BirdLife International is the only global partnership conserving birds and all life on earth with a network of over 120 worldwide conservation organizations and a Global Team.

About Nature Kenya

Founded in 1909, Nature Kenya – the East Africa Natural History Society – is Kenya’s oldest and most respected biodiversity conservation organization and the national partner of BirdLife International.