Executive Secretary of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Secretariat (CAFF)
Arctic-breeding birds use as many as eight different flyways to move from Arctic breeding grounds to overwintering or stopover sites at lower latitudes and beyond as far as the southern hemisphere. Many bird populations are declining at an unprecedented rate due to destruction of coastal wetlands for land reclamation and drainage, habitat degradation, trapping/poaching, unsustainable harvesting and climate change. Urgent action is needed to conserve our migratory birds. Through the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) we are working with partners across the globe to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. The World Migratory Bird Day campaign is a great way to help focus attention on this urgent issue and to help generate support for the actions needed.