Feathered visitors threatened by climate change

THE Namibia Bird Club celebrated World Migratory Bird Day on May 12.

The day was celebrated globally under the theme ‘Migratory birds in a changing climate’ to remind people that there are areas on the planet that are worth conserving and protecting. “The message of World Migratory Bird Day is that we need to act faster to mitigate the effects of climate change on birds and our ecosystems,” said Robert Hepworth, the Executive Secretary of the Global Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).World Migratory Bird Day is organised by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) – two Bonn-based wildlife treaties administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).”We started WMBD with the aim to reach out to local communities worldwide; to provide them with an opportunity to raise awareness on migratory birds, and to promote local and international action towards their conservation,” said Bert Lenten, the Executive Secretary of AEWA and initiator of the World Migratory Bird Day campaign.Referring to this year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme, Dr Mike Rands, Chief Executive of BirdLife International, said: “There is overwhelming evidence that our planet’s climate is changing, disrupting vital ecosystems and the key services they provide for us all.For migratory birds, all of which are dependent on a multitude of habitats, climate change is of immense concern.””The ecological effects of a changing climate will have significant consequences for the conservation of migratory waterbirds.As they undertake their annual migrations, these birds use sites in many countries.Changes to any of these may jeopardise their ability to complete their migration.The implications of climate change on waterbirds needs urgent attention,” stated David Stroud, an ornithologist at the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee.In Namibia, the Namibia Bird Club organised an outing to the dams on the farm Monte Christo near Windhoek, where birding enthusiasts were treated to a breakfast before enjoying a talk about migratory birds and a walk around the dam to view the birds.There are about 130 migrating bird species in southern Africa.In Namibia the Orange River mouth, Kunene River mouth and the Walvis Bay lagoon are the most important wetlands for these birds and need to be protected from pollution and development which could destroy them.* The Namibia Bird Club will have a morning bird-watching walk around Windhoek’s Avis Dam on June 10 and interested people can phone Gudrun Mittendorf at 081 240 3635 for more information about the club’s activities.”The message of World Migratory Bird Day is that we need to act faster to mitigate the effects of climate change on birds and our ecosystems,” said Robert Hepworth, the Executive Secretary of the Global Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).World Migratory Bird Day is organised by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) – two Bonn-based wildlife treaties administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).”We started WMBD with the aim to reach out to local communities worldwide; to provide them with an opportunity to raise awareness on migratory birds, and to promote local and international action towards their conservation,” said Bert Lenten, the Executive Secretary of AEWA and initiator of the World Migratory Bird Day campaign.Referring to this year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme, Dr Mike Rands, Chief Executive of BirdLife International, said: “There is overwhelming evidence that our planet’s climate is changing, disrupting vital ecosystems and the key services they provide for us all.For migratory birds, all of which are dependent on a multitude of habitats, climate change is of immense concern.””The ecological effects of a changing climate will have significant consequences for the conservation of migratory waterbirds.As they undertake their annual migrations, these birds use sites in many countries.Changes to any of these may jeopardise their ability to complete their migration.The implications of climate change on waterbirds needs urgent attention,” stated David Stroud, an ornithologist at the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee.In Namibia, the Namibia Bird Club organised an outing to the dams on the farm Monte Christo near Windhoek, where birding enthusiasts were treated to a breakfast before enjoying a talk about migratory birds and a walk around the dam to view the birds.There are about 130 migrating bird species in southern Africa.In Namibia the Orange River mouth, Kunene River mouth and the Walvis Bay lagoon are the most important wetlands for these birds and need to be protected from pollution and development which could destroy them.* The Namibia Bird Club will have a morning bird-watching walk around Windhoek’s Avis Dam on June 10 and interested people can phone Gudrun Mittendorf at 081 240 3635 for more information about the club’s activities.