World Migratory Bird Day 2023

World Migratory Bird Day is officially celebrated on the second Saturday of May in Canada and the US (May 13th in 2023), and the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean (October 14th in 2023). However, every day is Bird Day, and you can celebrate birds and host events any day of the year!

 

WATER

Water and its importance to migratory birds is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Activities to mark the day will be held globally on two peak days in both May and October under the theme “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.”

 

Water is fundamental to sustaining life on our planet. Migratory birds rely on water and its associated habitats—lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, swamps, marshes, and coastal wetlands—for breeding, resting and refueling during migration, and wintering. Yet increasing human demand for water, along with climate change, pollution, and other factors are threatening these precious aquatic ecosystems.

 

Global headlines are sounding alarm: 35 percent of the world’s wetlands, critical to migratory birds, have been lost in the last 50 years. Utah’s Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, used by more than a million shorebirds, is in danger of disappearing within five years. Climate change is depleting natural water systems, depriving migratory birds of vital stopover sites around the world. These sobering statistics go hand-in-hand with recent reports that reveal that 48 percent of bird species worldwide are undergoing population declines.

 

The campaign is a joint effort of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), Environment for the Americas and the EAAFP. The addition of the EAAFP to this Partnership will strengthen engagement and awareness for migratory birds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

 

Contact us at info@environmentamericas.org with any questions.

Conservation Theme

This year’s campaign highlights the importance of water to bird life. We will share simple steps that everyone can take to preserve water and protect birds.

Art & featured species

Art has always been central to World Migratory Bird Day and continues to be a key element in 2023. Look forward to our announcement of the 2023 artist in December 2022!

Artist

As we develop the World Migratory Bird Day theme for 2023, we are exploring artists who can  help us to share the importance of this essential resource for birds. Interested in being considered for the artist? Contact us at info@environmentamericas.org

Social Media Packet

Promoting your World Migratory Bird Day event can be a daunting task, so we create a Social Media Packet that provides easy copy-and-paste posts, downloadable graphics, and other content that you can use on your social media accounts. Stay tuned for more information!

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