Statement by Ms. Yolan Friedmann on World Migratory Bird Day 2019

Migratory birds by their very nature undertake perilous journeys to find the best possible conditions for feeding, breeding, and raising their young. Sadly, human activities, such as plastic pollution, infrastructure, and over-hunting, pose huge risks to these birds. Given that these birds cross so many international borders in their travels, potentially facing a multitude of threats along their flyways, a day like World Migratory Bird Day is essential to raise global awareness and encourage collective conservation action.

There is certainly a need for greater focus on the conservation of key flyway-areas in Africa, a continent that is currently the focus of major infrastructure developments. These include power line networks, energy generation installations such as wind turbines, linear infrastructure such roads and railways, and so on. All of this infrastructure has the potential to impact migratory birds, which is often not given due adequate attention when developments are planned.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust works with a number of migratory bird species through our Vultures for Africa, Birds of Prey, and Wildlife and Energy programmes, and believes strongly in the importance of raising awareness for these birds through World Migratory Bird Day.