Wild Animals

Migratory Bird Welfare and Conservation

Migratory birds face welfare challenges throughout their extraordinary annual journeys across continents.

Key Facts

Around 5 billion birds migrate between Europe and Africa annually
Migration mortality is high with up to 50 percent of some species failing to return each year
Hunting of migratory birds in Mediterranean countries kills tens of millions annually
Habitat loss at stopover sites leaves migrants without food and rest needed to complete journeys
Climate change is disrupting the timing match between migration and peak food availability

Welfare Considerations

Migratory birds face extraordinary physical demands and multiple human-caused threats throughout their journeys. Individual birds failing to complete migrations experience starvation, exhaustion, and injury. The welfare and conservation case for protecting migratory birds along their entire flyways — not just at breeding and wintering grounds — is compelling.

What You Can Do

Support international flyway conservation organisations
Advocate against illegal hunting and trapping of migratory birds in Mediterranean countries
Create stopover habitat in your garden with native plants and water features during migration seasons
Support climate change mitigation to protect timing synchrony for migrants
Participate in migratory bird monitoring schemes to contribute to conservation knowledge