Every year, the profits from the British Birdwatching Fair support a bird conservation project somewhere in the world. This year is slightly different in that the fundraising will cover the next three years and will be dedicated to creating and preserving wildlife corridors that cover a number of countries. The aim of Birdlife International’s Flyways Programme is to take steps to halt the decline of migratory birds around the globe.
Each year of the Birdfair fundraising will be contributing to this Programme and will be dedicated to a different group of countries and the passages they provide to birds’ migration. The world is divided into the African-Eurasian Flyway, from the borders of Asia, and covering Africa and Europe as far into the Atlantic as Greenland; The Americas Flyway, covering north and south America and up towards the Arctic; and the East Asia-Pacific Flyway, from the borders of Europe and covering the Far East from Siberia to Australasia.
Every year migratory birds brave mountains, oceans, deserts and storms on their journeys to live and breed. These amazing flights connect people all over the world - crossing borders, cultures and lives. An estimated 1,855 (19%) of all known birds species make regular cyclical movements beyond their breeding grounds and they do it to a regular pattern with known timings and routes.
Unfortunately, changes in agricultural practices along these corridors have led to habitat degradation and loss, there has been much deforestation and illegal or inappropriate hunting. Man-made hazards such as overhead powerlines and pollution and growing populations leading to more disturbance of nest sites have all contributed to put pressure on 80% of migratory species.
So much so, that in 2008 11% of migratory birds were classed by BirdLife International as threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
This is where this year’s Birdfair will devote its efforts: to working with BirdLife International to undertake action for migratory birds. Not only that, but the next two years, until 2013, will also see the profits from Birdfair go to the same cause.
The money raised will help Birdlife International to work together with its partners in these sensitive areas to raise awareness about migratory birds and implement conservation projects.
International collaboration is the only way to conserve migratory birds as they pass along the three flyways and this work stands to gain valuable finances thanks to the visitors to Birdfair.
For more information on BirdLife International's Flyways Programme visit www.birdlife.org
African-Eurasian Flyway- yellow
Americas Flyway - blue
East Asia-Pacific Flyway - red
