Wildlife

Wild Migratory Bird Stopover Welfare

The welfare challenges faced by migratory birds during stopover periods, and how habitat protection and management can support them.

Key Facts

Migratory birds require suitable stopover habitats to refuel before continuing migration
Loss of wetland and coastal habitats has reduced stopover habitat availability
Light pollution disrupts migration orientation and increases urban collision risk
Supplementary habitat at key stopover sites can support millions of birds
Climate change is shifting prey availability at traditional stopover sites

Welfare Considerations

Migratory birds face a gauntlet of welfare challenges including exhaustion, predation risk, and starvation during stopover. Protecting and creating stopover habitat is a high-impact welfare intervention that benefits millions of individual birds.

What You Can Do

Support wetland and coastal habitat conservation for migratory bird stopovers
Reduce artificial light pollution during peak migration periods
Contribute to citizen science migration monitoring programs