Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day

May 10 is World Migratory Bird Day

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!

Twice a year, on the second Saturday of May and October, World Migratory Bird Day unites people in a global effort to celebrate and protect migratory birds and their habitats.

Birds on the move…

Every year, millions of migratory birds visit Australia, including at least 37 migratory species of shorebird. Birds know no borders, and some travel from as far and wide as Alaska and Siberia, tracing invisible paths in the sky known as flyways. Some fly non-stop, covering thousands of kilometres in just a matter of days to feed and rest on our shores. Their movements connect humans and habitats along their migration routes, and protecting these intercontinental voyagers requires international collaboration.

Millions of birds migrate around Australia too, where there are all kinds of migration patterns. Some travel across the country – after breeding in southern Australia, many species fly north to follow the sun, racking up serious air miles along the way. Some birds move to lower altitudes to escape the winter chill, while others travel in irregular, unpredictable patterns in response to rainfall, sometimes covering vast distances in search of food and suitable habitat.

…and under threat

But our migratory birds are also among our most threatened.

Travelling such great distances takes a toll, and these weary travellers rely on having somewhere safe to feed, rest and recover along their migration routes if they’re to make it home.

Habitat loss and degradation are among the greatest threats to migratory birds today, and widespread logging and land-clearing means more trees are being cut down to make way for our sprawling cities. As cities rapidly expand, so to do the challenges facing our migrating birds – including the loss of green spaces, predation by domestic cats and collisions with windows.

Sharing spaces

Urban areas are often more dangerous for birds – but they don’t have to be.

As their habitat continues to be destroyed across the country, more birds are taking refuge in our backyards and towns and cities – and today, around 30% of Australia’s threatened species can be found within our urban centres.

Migrating birds often visit our cities and towns, and more species are becoming increasingly reliant on urban parks, gardens and green spaces.

This year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme is Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities – highlighting the threats migratory birds face in urban areas, and how we can all help make our cities, towns and parks safer and more inviting to birds.

Through community action and sustainable urban planning, we can build bird-friendly towns and cities to attract, support and protect threatened and migratory birds in an increasingly urbanised world. But conservation starts at home – and small changes can make a big difference for our most vulnerable birds.

Create a bird-friendly garden

This World Migratory Bird Day, help create a safe place for migratory and resident birds to call home.

The best way you can help the birds in your backyard is by providing them with habitat for feeding, nesting and shelter – and our new Habitat Gardening for Birds course will show you how.

Our free online course provides practical, step-by-step guidance on designing, creating and maintaining habitat for native birds at home. Participants design and implement their own garden plan to transform their outdoor space into bird-friendly habitat, while learning valuable gardening skills and tips for living with and caring for wildlife.

You don’t have to be a green thumb or own acres of land to take part, either – it’s suitable for anyone in Australia who wants to help attract and support native birds, no matter your level of experience or the size of your outdoor space. All you need is a MyBirdLife account!

Find out more and register for our Habitat Gardening for Birds course here.