The welfare challenges facing migratory birds along global flyways, from illegal trapping to habitat loss and climate-driven timing mismatches.
Migratory birds face cumulative welfare harms across their entire annual cycle. Illegal trapping in Mediterranean countries kills millions of birds through inhumane methods including liming and mist nets. Exhausted birds failing to find adequate food at degraded stopover sites face starvation. Glass building collisions cause concussion, internal injuries, and death during migration. Climate timing mismatches mean birds arrive at breeding grounds before insect food is available, causing chick starvation. These dispersed, multi-country welfare harms require international cooperation to address.