The rapidly declining population has led the status of the Maccoa Duck, a waterbird species protected under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), to be uplisted to Endangered in the updated IUCN Red List of Endangered Species released last week. Seven other AEWA species were downlisted to lower categories, providing a more hopeful news about the status of these species.

Light Pollution will be the focus of the World Migratory Bird Day 2022 campaign.  Artificial light is increasing globally by at least 2 per cent per year and it is known to adversely affect many bird species. Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds, causing disorientation when they fly at night, leading to collisions with buildings, perturbing their internal clocks, or interfering with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations.  

“Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, an annual global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year the campaign will focus on the phenomena of “bird song” and “bird flight” as a way to inspire and connect people of all ages around the world in their shared desire to celebrate migratory birds and to unite in a common, global effort to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive. 

Thirty years ago, on 13 June 1991, a major international meeting convened to address how to eliminate the poisoning of waterbirds with toxic lead gunshot.  Shot is deposited on the ground whenever it is used and subsequently kills when it is consumed by waterbirds.  The conference was organised by the International Waterbirds and Wetlands Research Bureau (now Wetlands International) and its aim was to review the extent of the problems of lead poisoning throughout the world and identify possible solutions.