Wild Migratory Bird Welfare and Stopover Habitat

Migratory birds face welfare challenges during their journeys, particularly at stopover sites where food and safe habitat are essential for survival. Protecting stopover habitat is a high-leverage welfare intervention.

Key Facts

Billions of birds migrate annually across hemispheres, facing enormous physiological demands
Birds in poor body condition at stopover sites have dramatically reduced survival prospects
Stopover sites in good condition can be refuelled within 2-3 days; degraded sites require longer risky stays
Illegal hunting at Mediterranean stopover sites kills tens of millions of migratory birds annually
Light pollution causes disorientation and collision mortality during night migration in billions of birds
Climate change is desynchronising migration timing with peak food availability at stopover sites

Welfare Considerations

Migratory bird welfare during journeys is directly affected by the quality of stopover habitat. Birds arriving at degraded or food-poor sites face extended stays that increase predation and exhaustion risk. Illegal hunting causes direct welfare harm to tens of millions of birds annually. Protecting and restoring key stopover sites across migration routes is one of the highest-impact interventions for migratory bird welfare, benefiting billions of individual birds each year.

What You Can Do

Create bird-friendly gardens with native plants and supplementary feeding during migration seasons
Support anti-poaching enforcement in countries with high illegal bird hunting rates
Advocate for protection of key wetland and coastal stopover sites for migratory birds
Reduce light pollution during peak migration periods by turning off unnecessary outdoor lighting
Donate to organisations monitoring and protecting migratory bird stopover habitats