World Migratory Bird Day is an Annual Awareness Raising Event

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was initiated in 2006 and is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. On the second weekend each May, people around the world take action and organise public events such as bird festivals, education programmes and birdwatching excursions to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day.

Connecting Events with a Global Campaign and Theme

World Migratory Bird Day activities take place in many different countries and places, but are all linked through a single global campaign and theme. Anyone interested in organising an event to mark World Migratory Bird Day is encouraged to register their planned activity on this website. In this way, individual events can be shared with others around the world and help inspire them to get involved. How can you participate?

This Year's Theme

Migratory birds and people - together through time

Humanity's fascination with migratory birds is evident in the symbolism throughout history in many ancient cultural legends. For example, in Egypt the ancient falcon-headed god Horus and in Peru the Nazca line monuments are testaments to migratory birds' strong influences on past cultures. Also, many groups and cultures continue to rely economically on migratory birds for their livelihoods, for example through subsistence and the growing global ecotourism industry. Further, the phenomenon of bird migration is crucial to the web of life, as migrating birds act as indicators of biodiversity, ecosystem health and climate change. Migratory birds also provide essential ecological benefits and services, such as pollination, to the ecosystems we rely on to survive.

---

Learn more about this year's theme -"Migratory birds and people - together through time"

---

A short history of WMBD - how it all began & past events

---

How can you participate? See what others are doing for WMBD