About 16 species of migratory shorebirds were reclassified, to higher threat category1, by the International Union for Conservation Action (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction and 60% of bird species are in decline globally, diminishing bird populations signal global ecosystems in crisis.
Many migratory birds follow specific routes called flyways3, stopping at various sites along the way to rest and feed.
This makes them especially at risk from threats like habitat loss and climate change.
As a result, the IUCN wants Governments to collaborate to reverse the losses of migratory birds.
Martin Harper, CEO, BirdLife International, said ‘‘COP16 must be the catalyst for governments to back up commitments made two years ago with meaningful action, to reverse the catastrophic declines in species populations.
This means more action to bolster efforts to recover threatened species, more action to protect and restore more land, freshwater and sea, and more action to transform our food, energy and industrial systems, backed up by the necessary funding.
The decline of migratory birds, which connect people across countries and continents, is a powerful symbol of how we, energy and industrial systems, are backed up by the necessary funding. The decline of migratory birds, which connect people across countries and continents, is a powerful symbol of how we are currently failing.’’
The IUCN said birds are important indicators of the state of nature because they occur almost everywhere, their behaviour and ecology often mirror other groups of species, they are extremely well studied, and they are responsive to environmental change.
Dr Ian Burfield, Global Science Coordinator (Species) & Bird Red List Authority Coordinator, BirdLife International, said ‘‘while many of these shorebirds remain numerous and are still commonly encountered along their flyways, new analyses of data from long-term monitoring schemes, reveal that the global populations of some species have declined by more than a third in recent decades. In some cases, the rate of decline is accelerating, underlining the urgent need for research to diagnose the causes and coordinated conservation action to address them.’’
Shorebirds, often seen darting along beaches or feeding on mudflats, are a familiar sight all over the world.
Coastal areas where many of these birds live also support millions of people by providing food, jobs, and storm protection. Therefore, protecting shorebirds is essential not just for birds, but also for the coastal communities that depend on these habitats.
Picture of an Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis), a shorebird that is critically endangered, Birds of the World.