World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that not only honours beautiful winged creatures but also raises awareness on the need for international cooperation to conserve them.
This day was initiated in 2006 as an annual awareness-raising campaign aimed at people living in all the major flyways that highlights the ecological importance of migratory birds and calls for their global conservation through international cooperation. It was established by the Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (UNEP-AEWA) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals(CMS). In October 2017, CMS, and AEWA announced an innovative partnership that Environment for the Americas (EFTA) joined and combining International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) to WMBD. WMBD is now celebrated twice a year, on the Second Saturday in May and in October.
World Sparrow Day: Causes of sparrows extinction and how can we help
World Migratory Bird Day 2020 theme is ‘Birds Connect Our World’ that will highlight the tracking technologies that researchers use to learn about migratory routes, examine the hazards birds face during their journeys, and implement conservation actions to help migratory birds along the way.
The State of India’s Birds 2020 report highlighted a notable decline in migratory bird species in the past few decades. Birds, in their annual journeys, in search of warm weather, breeding, and nesting, migratory birds often take up familiar routes to their final destinations, navigating with the help of mountains, rivers, and coastlines. Through their voyage, however, they face many ordeals and their problems seem to be increasing with time.
Top 10 beautiful migratory birds coming to India:
Siberian Cranes
Siberian Cranes are snowy white colour birds and migrate during winter to India. These cranes are omnivorous and breed in the arctic tundra of Russia and Siberia. These are critically endangered species of migratory birds, wintered in Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park till 2002.
Amur Falcons
Amur falcons are small raptor that breed in Siberia and migrate to Southern Africa. During migration in large flocks across North East India and over the Arabian sea, they feed around Doyang Lake in Nagaland in the evening or early in the morning during the winter season. These birds were massacred in Nagaland during the migration but because of Conservation India, the raptor is now a protected species and a successful campaign was begun to prevent their killing.
Greater Flamingo
Greater Flamingo is the largest of all species of the flamingo family, found in the Indian subcontinent. The migratory bird found in parts of Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Flamingo City and in the Thol Bird Sanctuary of Gujarat during the entire winter season. Greater Flamingo and Lesser flamingo are the most beautiful migratory birds found in India. These birds mostly station at Sewri Mudflats, Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary, Chilka Lake and Jawai Dam Sanctuary.
Demoiselle Crane
Demoiselle cranes are migratory birds and spend the winter in the Indian subcontinent. These cranes are smallest species of crane lives in a variety of different environments, including desert areas of Rajasthan.
Bluethroat
Bluethroat is a small brightly colored passerine bird from thrush family and winters in north Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Keoladeo National Park of Bharatpur in Rajasthan is one of the best places to spot migratory birds coming to India in the winter season.
Black-Winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt is a very long-legged wader bird and becomes a regular migrant to India, usually found around the wetland. The bird has 5 subspecies named as Black-necked stilt, Black winged stilt, White backed stilt, and White-headed stilt.
Blue Tailed Bee Eater
Blue Tailed Bee Eater is a strongly migratory bird found seasonally in much of peninsular India. This species is a richly coloured near passerine bird breeds in farmland and most often seen near large water bodies.
Bar Headed Goose
Bar Headed Goose is the highest flying bird in the world and migrate to India every in the winter season. The bar-headed migrates over the Himalayas and spend their winter in Assam to Tamil Nadu states of India. This bird is one of the most common winter season visitor found in large wetlands of India. Keoladeo National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is the most famous avifauna sanctuary to spot bar-headed goose in India.
Rosy Starling
Rosy Starling is a blackhead, chest and tail with white body passerine bird from starling family. It is a brave bird and spend winters in India including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Great White Pelican
The great white pelican also known as rosy pelican is a large bird with a long beak and a large throat pouch, distributed in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Northwest India. This species migrates to India during winters in large numbers and settles down mainly in the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
