World Migratory Bird Day - 10/11 May

The Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) are glad to announce the countdown for World Migratory Bird Day 2008. This two-day awareness raising campaign will take place globally for the third consecutive year from 10- 11 of May 2008. The theme for this year’s celebration is Migratory Birds - Ambassadors for Biodiversity.Birds are some of the best indicators for the status and trends of wider biodiversity. They are important for monitoring changes in the environment, as they are inhabitants of virtually all ecosystems in the world.

Many sites - identified as important for birds - host numerous other threatened species of plants and animals. Therefore areas essential for birds represent hot spots for other biodiversity as well.

All through their annual cycle, migratory birds cross many countries and continents, some of them from the tundra to the tropics, linking different ecosystems. By conserving them and their environment we ensure the conservation of biodiversity on a wider scale.

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