Almost half of the world’s migratory bird species are in decline, according to BirdLife International’s latest State of the World’s Birds report.
The report, focusing entirely on migratory birds and the flyways they depend on, was launched at the Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi on September 11. It states that 45% of migratory bird species are declining and one in nine is threatened with extinction.
BirdLife says seabirds and shorebirds are among the most threatened groups while species dependent on marine habitats, forests and coastal wetlands are also faring particularly poorly.
According to the report, drivers of the decline are overwhelmingly human-caused through invasive alien species, agricultural expansion and intensification, climate change and unsustainable hunting and trapping.
Nairobi Flyways Declaration
The report was launched alongside the Nairobi Flyways Declaration signed by governments, scientists, conservation organisations and financial institutions at the summit.
The declaration commits to stepping up efforts and cooperation to protect migratory birds and their habitats across borders.
BirdLife says more than US$6 billion (R98 billion) in conservation finance has been mobilised by development banks since 2021 for initiatives linked to flyway conservation.
The World Bank and BirdLife are mobilising several billion dollars across Africa, Europe and Asia along flyways used by more than two billion migratory birds.
