Migratory Bird Welfare: Threats Along Flyways

Migratory birds face a gauntlet of threats along their flyways including habitat loss, hunting, collision, and climate change. Protecting entire flyways is essential for migrant welfare.

Key Facts

Billions of birds migrate annually, crossing continents and oceans to exploit seasonal resources
Migratory species have declined by over 30% in North America since 1970
Building glass collisions kill an estimated 600 million birds annually in the US alone
Illegal hunting in the Mediterranean region kills tens of millions of migratory birds each year
Habitat loss at stopover sites starves migrants of critical refueling opportunities
Light pollution disrupts orientation and attracts birds into dangerous urban environments

Welfare Considerations

Migratory birds experience welfare harms distributed across their entire range. Building glass collisions cause traumatic injury and death. Illegal shooting during migration causes acute suffering and leaves wounded birds that die slowly. Exhausted migrants at stopover sites face starvation if wetlands and forests have been converted. Cats kill hundreds of millions of migratory birds annually at stopover points. Climate change is desynchronizing migration timing with prey availability, causing energetic deficits. Each of these threats is addressable through specific interventions -- bird-safe building design, illegal hunting enforcement, habitat protection, and cat management significantly reduce migratory bird suffering.

What You Can Do

Make windows bird-safe by applying visual markers that birds can see
Support illegal bird hunting enforcement in Mediterranean countries
Protect local wetland and forest stopover habitats in your region
Keep cats indoors during peak migration periods to reduce bird predation