Bonn, 30 March 2015 - Each year on the second weekend in May, dedicated organizations, governments and people around the world plan events to mark World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) celebrating migratory birds and raising awareness about the need for their conservation. Since World Migratory Bird Day began in 2006, events have been held in 130 countries and this year we hope to reach even more people and organizations to connect and work together towards conserving migratory birds and their habitats worldwide.

The 2015 Theme: Energy – make it bird-friendly!

In times of ever-increasing global demand for energy, developing new and expanding existing renewable energy technologies are key when striving towards a low carbon future. Yet energy cannot be truly sustainable and nature-friendly unless it fully takes biodiversity and, more specifically, migratory birds into consideration. With the theme “Energy – make it bird-friendly!”, WMBD 2015 aims to highlight the importance of deploying energy technologies in a way that prevents, minimizes and mitigates impacts on migratory birds and their habitats.

Every year, millions of migratory birds struggle with the massive expansion of various means of generating and distributing energy: collisions and electrocution due to power lines as well as barrier effects from energy infrastructure are causing mortality and displacement. In addition, the birds suffer effects from habitat loss and degradation and other disturbances from the deployment of hydropower, bio-energy, ocean, solar, wind and geothermal energy technologies. Sustainable renewable energy production is expected to have positive effects on migratory birds by mitigating climate change and its impacts. However, if certain energy technologies are deployed without proper planning, design and risk assessment, it can pose a grave threat to migratory bird species.

Register Your Event to Support Migratory Birds

Join the celebration of a great natural wonder on World Migratory Bird Day! Take action and celebrate, conserve and raise awareness of migratory birds on 9-10 May 2015 by organizing educational programmes, lectures, bird-watching tours, visits to bird-friendly energy infrastructure, competitions, art exhibitions and other public events. However you decide to participate, every activity counts and your contribution will help make a real difference!

For more Information, please consult: HERE