Migratory Bird Conservation and Welfare During Passage

Billions of migratory birds face threats during their twice-yearly journeys. Understanding the welfare challenges of migration helps conservation efforts target the most critical intervention points.

Key Facts

An estimated 5 billion birds migrate annually between Europe and Africa alone
Migration is physiologically extreme — birds may fly non-stop for 60+ hours over open ocean
Mediterranean and Red Sea crossing points concentrate billions of birds, making them vulnerable to hunting
Illegal killing of migratory birds during passage kills an estimated 25 million birds annually in the Mediterranean
Light pollution from cities disorients migrating birds, causing window collisions — up to 1 billion annually in the US
Climate change is creating phenological mismatches between migration timing and food availability at stopover sites
Habitat loss at stopover sites — critical refueling stops — has cascading effects on migratory bird survival

Welfare Considerations

Migratory birds face welfare challenges across their entire flyway. Birds that exhaust their fat reserves before reaching a suitable stopover face starvation — a prolonged and debilitating welfare event. Illegal shooting during passage causes immediate death or wounding, with wounded birds often dying slowly. Window collisions cause traumatic injury and frequent death from internal bleeding and brain injury. Light-disoriented birds that circle illuminated buildings exhaust themselves and die of fatigue or collision. Ensuring adequate stopover habitat quality — with sufficient food, water, and shelter — is a critical welfare intervention that supports millions of individual birds per season. Lights-out campaigns in cities during migration peaks, bird-safe building design, and eliminating illegal killing hotspots are the highest-impact welfare interventions available.

What You Can Do

Turn off unnecessary lights during spring and autumn migration periods to reduce disorientation
Apply bird-safe window treatments (decals, screens) to large glass surfaces in your home or workplace
Support BirdLife International campaigns against illegal migratory bird killing in the Mediterranean
Donate to habitat protection at critical stopover sites in the Sahel and East Africa
Advocate for bird-safe building design standards in urban planning and architecture codes