Billions of migratory birds connect the world's continents, oceans, and ecosystems each year, undertaking epic journeys between their foraging habitats and breeding grounds. These remarkable travelers pollinate plants, disperse seeds, control agricultural pests, transport nutrients between ecosystems, and support local economies by drawing birdwatchers and ecotourism.
However, today, many of these species are in trouble. Their migrations remain among nature's greatest spectacles, but the birds themselves are increasingly at risk as the habitats and ecological connections they depend upon are lost or degraded, and threats to their survival and ability to reproduce increase.
A comprehensive assessment of the status, threats, and conservation efforts involving more than 3,380 of Earth's migratory bird species shows that more than half of the world's migratory bird species are declining due to an array of threats, including habitat loss, invasive species, collisions with buildings, hunting, the pet trade, toxic pesticides, and commercial fishing nets.
The science around migratory birds has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and conservation can help save these incredible species if governments act before they become endangered.
Protecting migratory bird conservation by focusing on the birds' full annual cycles can protect birds and their habitats throughout the year, from their breeding grounds to their nonbreeding homes and their migratory routes in between. This approach combines protecting and restoring important places, reducing threats wherever they occur, and relies on international cooperation and proactive conservation led by engaged governments.
A new strategy for conserving migratory birds is emerging, one that recognizes that protecting places, while essential, is often not enough to conserve species whose lives unfold across continents and oceans. It's also important to understand where and when populations are most at risk and address those constraints across the birds' entire annual cycle.
Fortunately, this approach is already starting to take hold in the United States and demonstrates what is possible. Road to Recovery is an international initiative designed to reverse the losses of North America's fastest-declining bird species before they require protection under US endangered species legislation.
More than 50 international working groups are developing conservation strategies for species including bobolinks and lesser yellowlegs to evening grosbeaks and yellow-billed cuckoos. Their work has already led to new research, habitat protection, policy changes, hunting reforms, and international partnerships.
International agreements and regional flyway partnerships provide ways for nations to work together to conserve migratory species across political boundaries. However, the effectiveness of these agreements is severely hindered when many of the world's largest, wealthiest, and most influential countries have not signed on to them.
Broader international participation and sustained investment from governments can help translate scientific knowledge into coordinated conservation action across the full annual cycle. But governments cannot do it alone – landowners, businesses, conservation organizations, and individuals all have roles to play in protecting and restoring habitat and reducing threats.
There is every reason for hope. Conservation initiatives repeatedly demonstrate that when threats are identified and addressed, bird populations recover. The challenge now is applying what science has found.
Next spring, bobolinks will once again return to North America's grasslands. Newell's shearwaters will navigate thousands of miles of open ocean back to Hawaii. Spoon-billed sandpipers will once again attempt one of the world's most extraordinary migrations. Whether future generations can continue to see these magnificent migrations will depend on the choices of current generations and the steps they take to save them.
