\u201cBecause these birds depend on specific stopover sites (like Lake Chad or the Nile Delta), the loss of even one small wetland can cause an entire population to collapse,\u201d Ndang\u2019ang\u2019a wrote in an email.<\/p>\n According to Ndang\u2019ang\u2019a, habitat loss, climate change and infrastructure collision stand as three of the main reasons for the decline in migratory bird species.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor instance, the drainage of wetlands for agriculture or urban expansion has greatly affected migratory birds as they search for resting and feeding ground,\u201d he said. Lake Chad, on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, has lost 90% of its surface area since the 1960s, depriving millions of birds such as the European roller (Coracias garrulus<\/em>) a refuge.<\/p>\n Climate change presents another challenge for migrating birds, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cRising temperatures cause ecological mismatches where birds arrive at breeding grounds after their primary food sources (like caterpillars) have already peaked. The European warblers have ended up reaching their breeding grounds in poor condition because the Sahel wetlands in Africa are drying up earlier than usual due to changing rainfall patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThirdly, poorly manned infrastructure such as power lines and wind turbines cause thousands of deaths annually for large soaring birds like storks and raptors, which often follow [fly along] specific mountain ridges or valleys where wind farms are built,\u2019\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n Paul Matiku, the executive director of conservation NGO Nature Kenya, says there are several successful projects aimed at preventing the death of migratory birds from collisions with energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cFor instance, in the intervention at the Gabal-el Zayt wind farm in Egypt, conservationists and engineers use a protocol to temporarily stop wind turbines when large flocks of migratory birds are detected approaching the site. This has significantly reduced the mortalities of birds such as the white stork from collisions without causing substantial power losses to the grid.\u201d<\/p>\n In Sudan and Ethiopia, power lines have been retrofitted with visibility markers and insulation to prevent the electrocution of species like Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus<\/em>).<\/p>\n \u201cIn Kenya, Nature Kenya worked with Birdlife International and government partners and produced wind power strategic environment assessment report which helps to map places that are most important for migrating birds and which should be avoided during wind power placement,\u201d Matiku said.<\/p>\n Nature Kenya has also enlisted residents of local communities with first hand knowledge of the most common places where birds\u00a0fall victims of power lines. The NGO provides training for site support groups to\u00a0gather better information to guide the relevant authorities\u00a0to rethink powerline design.<\/p>\n World Migratory Bird Day\u2019s May date has been chosen to coincide with the peak migration period for birds using not only the African-Eurasian flyway, but others linking East Asia to Australia or North to Central and South America.<\/p>\n \u201cMigratory birds connect continents,\u201d said Blessings Chingagwe, who works for one of BirdLife\u2019s partners, Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi in March.<\/p>\n \u201cA bird feeding at Chia Lagoon may have travelled thousands of kilometres from Europe or Asia. If just one important wetland along the flyway is lost or degraded, it can affect populations across multiple countries. Protecting wetlands in Malawi is part of protecting a global ecological system.\u201d<\/p>\nFrom Africa to Central Asia, the European roller\u2019s migration builds relationships<\/h3>\n
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