Billions of migratory birds traverse global flyways twice yearly. The welfare of individual birds during migration is shaped by habitat quality, hunting pressure, and climate change along these ancient routes.
Migratory birds experience welfare challenges at every stage of their annual journeys — from the energetic demands of sustained flight through the dangers of crossing seas and deserts, to the gauntlet of hunting, trapping, and habitat loss they face at stopover sites. Individual welfare impacts are enormous in scale: birds that survive their journey in poor body condition face stress and reduced reproductive success, while the millions that do not survive suffer injuries from trapping, shooting, and collisions. The welfare case for flyway conservation is inseparable from the conservation case — individual welfare and population viability are linked through the same mechanisms of habitat quality, hunting pressure reduction, and climate adaptation. International cooperation across flyway nations is essential, making migratory bird welfare one of the most challenging areas of wildlife welfare advocacy.