Islamabad (Web Desk): World Migratory Bird Day is being observed today (Saturday) across the globe including Pakistan.
This year's World Migratory Bird Day theme is "Protect Insects, Protect Birds".
The day highlights the relationship between migratory birds and insects amidst alarming declines for both.
Present in almost all the world's ecosystems, insects are essential food sources for migratory birds on their long journeys.
World Migratory Bird Day is a global campaign that educates and promotes conservation efforts for migratory birds and their journeys across borders.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Migratory Bird Day was initiated in 2006 by the Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
Originally, the idea of designating a day for migratory birds arose in the United States in 1993, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology initiated celebrations of the ‘International Migratory Bird Day' (IMBD), which encourages bird festivals and education programmes across the Americas. Although this day was and continues to be successfully celebrated in the western hemisphere, something similar was missing for the rest of the world.
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary in 2005, the AEWA Secretariat initiated the Migratory Waterbird Days (MWD) which were held in Africa, Europe and parts of Asia.
As this event was well received in the African-Eurasian region, it was decided to broaden the scope into a commemorative day that celebrates all migrating birds on a global scale.
The Day is celebrated every year in May and October. This year, it falls on 11 May and 12 October, due to the varying cyclic patterns of bird migration in different hemispheres.
Every year, people all over the world come together to organize public events like bird festivals, education programs, exhibitions, and bird-watching excursions to mark the World Migratory Bird Day.
These activities can be carried out at any time of the year, as different countries and regions observe the peak of migration at various times. However, the majority of international celebrations take place on the second Saturday of May and October.