During this year’s IUCN Congress taking place in Abu Dhabi, the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) was declared officially extinct.
According to a Press Release by AEWA – the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds – this marked the first known global extinction of a formerly widespread migratory bird species whose range included mainland Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. The migratory shorebird was last recorded in Morocco in 1995. The extinction underlines the urgent and sustained need for stronger, coordinated conservation efforts for migratory birds.
Some of these birds travel thousands of kilometres, connecting countries and continents
Migratory birds are seasonal species of birds that journey across various regions of the world, driven by the changing seasons, the search for food, or their breeding needs. Some of these birds travel thousands of kilometres, connecting countries and continents, and linking ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics. The Arctic-breeding waders like the Whimbrel or Ruddy Turnstone, for instance, migrate all the way to the Seychelles to escape the freezing winters up north.
Seychelles is home to approximately 30 species of migratory birds. While many of these birds don’t breed here, they winter or take a break here during their migration journeys. Some common migrants include the aforementioned Ruddy Turnstone and Whimbrel, as well as the Sanderling, Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, and Crab Plover. Here, they replenish their energy, moult their feathers, and prepare for the journey back to their breeding grounds.
Migratory birds are often used as indicators of ecosystem health
They can be seen in wetlands, marshes, mangroves, rocky shores, shallow seas, estuaries, and grassy open places, which are rich in invertebrate life. Because they connect diverse habitats and their populations are highly sensitive to environmental changes, migratory birds are often used as indicators of ecosystem health.
Like other bird species, however, migratory birds face challenges from global warming, climate change, habitat loss, collisions with man-made objects, hunting, pesticide use, and urbanisation, all of which affect their breeding, stopover, and wintering sites.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows a decline in populations of migratory birds across the globe. Several migratory bird species have been moved to a higher risk level on the list in recent years, indicating that more efforts are needed to reverse their declines. These include waders that come to Seychelles, such as the Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) and Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), which were up-listed to “Vulnerable”, and the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), which was up-listed to “Near Threatened.”
We can help by adopting bird-friendly practices like maintaining and creating healthy habitats
World Migratory Bird Day, observed in May and October of each year, raises awareness about the threats to migratory birds and the need for their protection. This year’s theme, “Shared Spaces – Creating Bird-Friendly Cities & Communities,” calls for practical actions from local to global that can save migratory birds.
These include good urban planning, which minimises the destruction of important bird habitats, adopting bird-friendly practices like maintaining and creating healthy habitats, reducing pollution, preventing collisions with glass windows and other built objects, planting native plants to provide food and shelter for birds, reducing plastic waste, and raising awareness.
Whether it’s individuals or policymakers, everyone can help support migratory birds.