Loss and Degradation of Natural Habitats Threaten Migratory Birds, Pushing Species towards Extinction
World Migratory Bird Day 2013 Highlights
Importance of Ecological Networks for Migratory
Birds—Need for a Greater International Response
Bonn/Nairobi
10 May 2013 – The annual migration of an
estimated 50 billion birds— around 19 per cent of the
world’s 10,000 bird species—is one of the world’s
great natural wonders, yet the critical staging areas
migratory birds need to complete these journeys are
being degraded or are disappearing completely. These
increasingly vulnerable sites, which act as stepping
stones on migration routes, serve as a place for the
birds to rest, feed and breed during their annual
migration cycles. As a result of the degradation, some
species may be extinct within a decade, while others
are facing population losses of up to nine per cent
each year.
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Press Release in French