World Migratory Bird Day 2024 (11?May) shines a spotlight on the relationship between migratory birds and insects amidst alarming declines for both.
World Migratory Bird Day is a global campaign that educates and promotes conservation efforts for migratory birds and their journeys across borders. It raises awareness about the challenges birds face and encourages conservation actions worldwide.?
This year, the focus is on the importance of insects for migratory birds. Present in almost all the world¡¯s ecosystems, insects are essential food sources for migratory birds on their long journeys. Migratory birds often time their migrations to align with insect abundance. They depend on these insects for food during migration stops and for breeding success and feeding their young.
The stark reality uncovered over recent years is that??on insects for survival. An analysis in the journal?revealed that we are losing roughly 9% of the world¡¯s insect population each decade.
Deforestation, industrial agriculture, the overuse of pesticides, light pollution, and climate change are major factors driving this trend?.
Additionally, the United States and Canada have observed avian population declines, with a significant 29% drop in bird populations since 1970, equating to around 2.9 billion fewer birds.
This year's World Migratory Bird Day theme, "Protect Insects, Protect Birds" is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of insects, to educate, and to learn.
It coincides with rare and fascinating insect events, such as the double-brood cicada emergence in North America and the synchronous fireflies event in the Smoky Mountains National Park, likely to be occurring in late May or early June.
In other parts of the world, the migration of the ¡°wandering glider¡± dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) stands out for its remarkable impact on the Amur Falcon's?(Falco amurensis)?journey across Asia and Africa.
While in Europe, the decline of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) has been linked to climate-related food shortages, whereby the birds now frequently arrive in European forests after the caterpillars have matured into insects, which their chicks cannot eat. The consequence of this mistiming was already published in??in 2006.
To mark the day, people around the world are invited to join in World Migratory Bird Day 2024 events and to take simple yet effective strategies to protect insects and birds.
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