World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturdays of May and October every year. In 2020, World Migratory Bird Day is being celebrated by people across the world on Saturday, October 10. This year, the theme of the day is “Birds Connect Our World”. Several international associations and agencies come together in creating awareness among people and highlighting the need for saving the species of migratory birds on this day.

What is the History of World Migratory Bird Day?

World Migratory Bird Day was first celebrated in 2006 by the Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) initiated a proposal. World Migratory Bird Day 2020: Six Beautiful Birds That Visit India During Migration Every Year.

What Does the Official Theme ‘Birds Connect Our World’ Mean?

The Theme ‘Birds Connect Our World’ highlights the importance of conserving and restoring the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural movements of migratory birds and that are essential for their survival and well-being. Migratory Birds Drop Dead in New Mexico: From Record Heat Waves to Wildfires, Reasons Why a Huge Number of These Birds Are Dying in a Mysterious Way.

Last 5 Years' Themes of World Migratory Bird Day:

2019 – Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution

2018 – Unifying our voices for bird conservation

2017 – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People

2016 – Stop the illegal killing, taking, and trade of Migrate

2015 – Energy: Make it bird-friendly

What is The Significance of World Migratory Bird Day?

Migratory birds are part of our shared natural heritage and they depend on a network of sites along their migration routes for breeding, feeding, resting and overwintering.

Migratory birds can be found everywhere, in cities and in the countryside, in parks and etc. They leave one habitat to find another habitat that has favourable ecological conditions to survive.

They are key functions in the interconnected systems that keep nature healthy. They travel the country by eating the seeds and disperse them through their dropping for use as a fertilizer. Through this process, they bring plants back to ecosystems that have been destroyed. They help to shape the plant life in the world which we see around us.

Due to rapidly changing climate and environment, migratory birds are speedily depleting. This is why WMBD highlight the issue by celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, to grab the attention of the world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2020 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).