World Migratory Bird Day Celebrations Set for October 13

Bonn, 8 October 2018 – For the first time, World Migratory Bird Day celebrations will be taking place around the world on the second Saturday in October (13 October), marking the second peak global celebration day following the one in May.

The Year 2018 is also an important transition year for the global campaign. Since the beginning of 2018 and since the establishment of a new partnership between the Environment for the Americas (EFTA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) together with the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), World Migratory Bird Day now unifies the planet’s major migratory bird corridors, or flyways, namely the African-Eurasian, the East Asian-Australasian, and the Americas flyways into a single global campaign.

The new campaign brings together even more people around the world and aims to reach out to a broader audience to amplify a unified message for bird conservation. As a new global platform that unifies efforts worldwide, WMBD will be reinforcing education and awareness-raising about the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats - at all different levels, in all parts of the world.

Events worldwide are taking place on October 13^th to create awareness about the threats migratory birds are facing and educate people about migratory birds. For instance, for the sixth consecutive year, the famous choir Corale Lirica San Rocco will be performing a benefit concert in Bologna on 13^th October to mark World Migratory Bird Day. Thanks to the support of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, this time the concert will take place on 13 October in History Museum of Bologna. Entrance to the event is free and attendees will be invited to make a donation towards bird conversation.

Another exciting event has been initiated by Bolivian Association of Bird Conservation ‘Aves Volivianas’, Simon I. Patiño Ecopodagogic Center and the Santa Cruz Botanical Garden. They have launched a “migratory bird week’ for an interested audience, particularly targeted at university, college and general public students. Events that take place during the week are educational talks, photography contests and bird watching.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon Is organisation a birdwatching trip to celebrate WMBD and another event in Kenya will combine bird watching, camping and an education activity that aims to bring community and schools together with a mission to conserve Yala wetland and its habitat. Through uniting environmental conservation clubs, environmentalist and conservation partners this is not an event to miss out on!

In order to make celebrations even more relevant to bird supporters all over the world, World Migratory Bird Day will also continue to have two peak celebration days in the year - the second Saturdays in May and in October. However, as in the past WMBD events can also be celebrated all around the year, whenever migratory birds are present in a given locality.