The Eilat region in Israel is a bottleneck for migratory birds passing from Europe and Asia to Africa. Each spring half a billion birds pass through this region on the return journey to their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia. Many of these birds are endangered and most face dwindling populations due to habitat loss, […]
Tag: migratory birds
The special plight of Trans-Saharan migratory birds
Long distance migratory birds that use the African Eurasian flyway have been in serious trouble for at least a few decades, more so than their counterparts that travel shorter distances. Major declines have been observed for a number of species – including popular symbols of spring, such as the Nightingale – that fly each year […]
‘Flat out scary’: Only 9% of world’s migratory birds adequately protected
Migratory birds are awe-inspiring. Every year, millions traverse across oceans and continents, many each racking up thousands of miles as they fly. The longest marathon migrant, the Arctic tern, covers more than 70,000 kilometers (about 44,000 miles) annually during its journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and back. However, very few migratory bird species […]
Veterinary diclofenac now completely banned in Iran
Iran’s Department of Environment has officially banned the export, import, production and veterinary use of the drug diclofenac in the country. Diclofenac is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug whose veterinary use as a painkiller for livestock has been the main cause of the decline of several species of vultures around the world. Vultures are scavengers, often […]
Plants hitch a lift on migrating birds
Birds migrating between the Arctic and South America could be responsible for distributing plants across the tropics, according to new research. Scientists screened wild shorebirds’ feathers before migration and found plant parts embedded. Birds are known to disperse seeds and small animals across local, regional and continental ranges. It is the first evidence of plant […]
Behind the Scenes: First-ever Black-capped Petrel Satellite Tracking
Locally known as diablotín, which translates loosely to “little devil,” the Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) is one of the world’s most imperiled and least known seabirds. This species was thought to be extinct for most of the 20th century, then was rediscovered in 1963 nesting high up in the mountains of southeastern Haiti. Since then, […]
Legality of spring hunting under fire in Malta and Brussels
In Malta, the illegal killing of birds is particularly widespread and with each hunting season, many protected birds are being shot due to lack of adequate controls and monitoring. Illegal shooting is even more harmful in spring, the most sensitive time for migratory birds returning to Europe to breed. BirdLife Malta continues its fight against […]
Albanian Government bans hunting of migrating birds
Last July, novelist and bird-watcher Jonathan Franzen wrote a devastating account for National Geographic magazine about the mass slaughter of migrating birds across the Mediterranean. The situation, he wrote, was especially dire in Albania, which lies along a major migratory flyway. Due to indiscriminate hunting, the skies above Albania were literally being emptied of birds. […]