International Migratory Bird Day will take place Saturday, May 13. Environment for the America has created a promotional toolkit to help partners connect with people, promote events, or develop further ideas.
This year’s theme is “Helping Birds Along the Way”. When birds migrate between nesting and wintering sites, they don’t just stop anywhere; they rely on a handful of resource-rich and strategically located sites where they may double their body weight as they acquire the energy-rich fat stores needed to fly thousands of kilometers across continents and oceans. These places are known as stopover sites. Some stopover sites are well known, such as along the coasts of Louisiana, New Jersey, and the Upper Bay of Panama, where birds stop after traveling along the shoreline. Others are inland, such as Venezuela’s grasslands, wetlands in the central United States, and even urban parks and backyards.
This year’s celebration will focus on the importance of stopover sites and their habitats. Whether you learn about a stopover site near home, visit one far away, or create a safe place for birds in your backyard, your support can mean a safe journey for a migratory bird.
Created in 1993, this celebration has grown to become much more than a one day event. Over 700 events are now hosted from South America to Canada, materials are available year-round, and other projects and programs have been developed to increase bird conservation education.