Migratory Bird Welfare and Conservation

Migratory birds face extraordinary welfare challenges during their annual journeys covering thousands of kilometres.

Key Facts

The bar-tailed godwit makes non-stop flights of up to 12,000 km from Alaska to New Zealand
Migratory birds depend on network of stopover sites for rest and refuelling
Illegal killing of migratory birds kills an estimated 25 million birds annually in the Mediterranean alone
Light pollution causes disorientation in nocturnally migrating songbirds
Climate change is disrupting migration timing, creating mismatches with food availability

Welfare Considerations

Migratory birds face welfare challenges at every stage of their annual cycle — fuel deposition before departure, the flight itself, finding adequate stopover sites, and surviving the destination season. Illegal killing at traditional stopover sites in the Mediterranean causes welfare harm at scale. Light pollution in cities causes birds to collide with buildings and become disorientated. Loss of stopover habitat creates energy deficits that reduce survival. Welfare during migration is inextricable from conservation of the habitats that make migration possible.

What You Can Do

Turn off unnecessary lights at night during spring and autumn migration periods
Support campaigns against illegal bird killing in Mediterranean flyway countries
Plant native berry-producing shrubs that provide stopover fuel for migrating birds
Donate to organisations protecting critical stopover habitat for migratory birds
Learn about migration routes and the welfare challenges birds face along them