Migratory birds face a gauntlet of threats along their flyways, from habitat loss and climate change to hunting and light pollution, with welfare implications throughout their annual journeys.
Migratory birds are exposed to welfare threats at every stage of their journeys - exhausted birds crossing the Mediterranean face hunting, cat predation on arrival, and poor weather that prevents the refuelling stops they desperately need. Individual migrants are frequently in physiological extremes - depleted fat reserves, stressed immune systems, and compromised physical condition after oceanic crossings. Threats that kill migrants in their billions represent not just conservation but welfare crises on an enormous scale. Addressing migration threats requires international cooperation across the full flyway, as actions to protect birds in one country are undermined by persecution in others.