Bonn/Nairobi, 8 May 2009
– This upcoming weekend (9-10 May 2009),
thousands of people around the world will
be taking part in World Migratory Bird Day
(WMBD) events to draw attention to the many
man-made obstacles birds face during their
migration.
The central theme for
this year's World Migratory Bird Day - "BARRIERS
TO MIGRATION" - aims to highlight the
effects man-made structures such as wind
turbines, communication masts, tall buildings
and windows, power lines and fences have
on migratory birds.
During migration birds
face a number of natural obstacles such
as expanding deserts, seas, huge mountains
and other natural barriers. Yet, next to
these natural barriers, birds are increasingly
being confronted with man-made barriers
on their journeys.
These man-made structures
can not only disturb the migratory movements
of birds, but it is estimated that bird-strike
due to collisions with man-made structures
is responsible for the deaths of many millions
of birds worldwide each year.
Among the affected bird
species are abundant as well as rare and
endangered species. Man-made barriers are
believed to be a growing threat and are
likely to be a significant contributor to
the decline in many populations, especially
those of scarcer, more vulnerable bird species.
"Hundreds and thousands
of migratory birds, including many that
are protected under international wildlife
treaties such as the African-Eurasian Migratory
Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), are killed in
growing numbers by man-made barriers. Some
of these cases could quite easily be avoided
by introducing technical measures for reducing
this often avoidable cause of destruction"
said Bert Lenten, Executive Secretary of
AEWA and initiator of the World Migratory
Bird Day campaign.
However, each year the
number of wind turbines, power lines, skyscraping
radio, TV and cell phone transmission masts,
reflecting plate glass windows, tall buildings
and other structures continues to grow,
often without consideration of avoidance
and mitigation measures known to reduce
avian mortality through collisions with
these structures.
In addition to a number
of known mitigation measures specific to
each type of structure, particularly the
location and placement of structures such
as wind farms and power lines along major
migratory routes or near areas regularly
used by large numbers of feeding, breeding
or roosting birds, can dramatically affect
the likelihood of collisions. Placement
of structures along important wetlands,
river valleys and in coastal areas where
large numbers of migratory birds congregate,
are also likely to increase the risk to
migratory birds.
"Although man-made
barriers represent an increasing problem
for migratory birds worldwide, so far little
attention has been given to possible solutions.
My strong hope is that World Migratory Bird
Day will help raise awareness of these barriers
and that action will be taken to reduce
the impact of some of these man-made structures
on migratory birds" said Bert Lenten.
Dedicated people and
organisations around the world will be using
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) this upcoming
weekend to conduct events, which will help
draw attention to the impact of man-made
barriers on migratory birds. Over one hundred
separate events in 44 countries have already
been registered on the WMBD website so far:
www.worldmigratorybirdday.org
Notes to Editors
World Migratory Bird
Day (WMBD)
World Migratory Bird
Day (WMBD) is a global initiative devoted
to celebrating migratory birds and for promoting
their conservation worldwide. This year
WMBD will take place on the weekend of 9-10
May and its central theme will be 'Barriers
to migration.'
World Migratory Bird Day is being organised
by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird
Agreement (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory
Species (CMS) – two international wildlife
treaties administered by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and other partners.
People and dedicated
organisations around the world will be using
the event to draw attention to man-made
barriers and their impact on migratory birds.
Over one hundred separate events in 44 countries
have already been registered on the WMBD
website so far (see: www.worldmigratorybirdday.org).
Activities to mark WMBD include bird festivals
and bird watching trips, public discussions,
exhibitions, presentations, bird rallies
and other educational and public events.
For more information please see: www.worldmigratorybirdday.org
Barriers to migration
(background on this year's WMBD theme)
Windows and tall buildings
Windows of all sizes
and types, even small and narrow windows,
from those found on tall buildings to those
used in residential houses are very dangerous
for birds. Ornithologists usually call them
"invisible killers" due to the
large number of deaths and injuries they
cause regardless of species, age, sex and
the conditions in which collisions occur.
Attracted by the reflection of trees or
plants located near the windows, birds try
to pass through them, sometimes, at top
speed. This can lead to fatal or other injuries
or simply exhaustion as they attempt to
overcome the invisible barrier and end up
falling to the ground and thus becoming
easy prey. Predators such as cats often
lie in wait for their victims to quickly
remove them. Moreover, some studies show
that about half of those birds, which manage
to fly away, die later due to injuries received.
These facts are often unknown to those observing
bird strikes, as they tend to think collisions
do not actually harm birds and that they
are able to fly away without any lasting
damage.
Wind turbines
Although wind turbines
are a form of clean technology for renewable
energy production and therefore an important
tool in combating climate change, they also
represent a danger to migratory birds. Wind
turbines, especially when standing isolated
in large-scale wind farm developments, also
represent a severe potential hazard for
migratory birds. Their blades rotate at
speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour
and, when placed along the major migratory
routes of birds, wind turbines can become
extremely dangerous obstacles causing both
injuries and fatalities to many species
of migratory birds. In addition to causing
collisions, wind turbines are also known
to cause displacement of migratory birds
and are considered especially detrimental
in areas where there is a known high concentration
of migratory birds, for example at major
stop-over and feeding sites. Like other
obstacles that are surrounded with lights
for air traffic safety, wind turbines equipped
with bright lights can also attract disorientated
birds and lead to fatal injuries during
the night.
Wind farms are often
built along coastlines and mountaintops,
usually in areas that have high wind potential,
and which often lie along the flight paths
of many migratory birds. Unfortunately,
wind farms are still being built along coastlines,
mountain ridges and wetlands, sometimes
without any prior assessment of their potential
environmental impact on migratory birds
and in places where there is a known high
concentration of many migratory bird species.
It is especially a cause for concern when
wind farms are constructed in areas that
are frequently used by endangered and rare
bird species.
Power lines
Power lines and fences
are believed to pose a particular risk to
migratory birds. Overhead power lines stretch
for millions of kilometres globally and
the resulting carpet of surface cables continues
to increase. Apart from the risk of electrocution
faced by birds, which results from poorly
designed power poles, the cables themselves
constitute objects for potential collisions.
Fast-flying birds, so-called poor fliers
due to their small wings, and birds lacking
in agility are especially at risk; they
tend to hit conductors and ground wires,
frequently at night and in poor weather
conditions.
Communication towers
and masts
Communication towers
and masts are commonly high structures located
on elevated points of land and their supporting
guy wires are extremely dangerous for migratory
birds. Fast flying birds simply do not notice
loose wires and birds that are not very
agile have difficulties avoiding them. Stormy
nights and bad visibility make supporting
wires even more dangerous for birds and
dramatically increase the risk of collision.
Brightly lit towers in the similar adverse
conditions make bird-strikes even more likely.
Birds, especially nocturnal birds travelling
in weather conditions like fog or mist,
loose their navigation cues and get disoriented
or dazzled by the lights of towers. Mistaking
them for constellations, birds tend to circle
around the lights and rarely escape fatal
hits against the wires and other supporting
elements. Even if they manage to avoid heavy
strikes, birds are often badly injured or
they waste energy they need to accomplish
their migration journey.
Burdening factors
When wind turbines,
power lines and other man-made structures
are placed in areas where the density of
birds is high or along major migratory paths,
the probability of collisions significantly
increases. In particular, the placement
of windfarms and other structures along
landscape features such as river valleys
and coastal areas, used by migratory birds
as navigation cues, is believed to significantly
increase collisions. Collision risks are
also increased or diminished by the intensity
and use of lighting and size – the more
lighting in place and the taller the structure
is, the more dangerous the objects are for
birds. Bad weather and darkness, as well
as the physical characteristics of birds
(acuteness of vision) or flight behaviour
(flocks), also influence the collision rate.
WMBD Partners:
United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment
in the United Nations system. It is an advocate,
educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting
the wise use of the planet's natural assets
for sustainable development. http://www.unep.org/
Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS;
also known as the Bonn Convention) aims
to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian
migratory species throughout their range.
It is an intergovernmental treaty concluded
under the aegis of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). Since the Convention's
entry into force, its membership has grown
steadily to include 110 (as of 1 November
2008) parties from Africa, Central and South
America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. http://www.cms.int/
African-Eurasian Migratory
Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) is an intergovernmental
treaty developed under the CMS dedicated
to the conservation of migratory waterbirds.
The Agreement covers 255 species of birds
ecologically dependent on wetlands for at
least part of their annual cycle. The treaty
covers a large geographic area, including
Europe, parts of Asia, Canada, the Middle
East and Africa. So far 62 out of the 118
countries in this area have become Contracting
Parties to the International Agreement.
http://www.unep-aewa.org/
BirdLife International
is a global partnership of conservation
organisations that strives to conserve birds,
their habitats and global biodiversity.
BirdLife International has long been committed
to the conservation of migratory birds and
the habitats upon which they depend. The
BirdLife Partnership is engaged in migratory
bird conservation at numerous scales, from
projects focused on individual species or
key sites, to broader policy and advocacy
work to promote migratory species conservation,
and involvement in flyway-scale projects.
http://www.birdlife.org/
Wetlands International
is an independent, non-profit, global organisation,
dedicated to the conservation and wise use
of wetlands. Wetlands International works
globally, regionally and nationally to achieve
the conservation and wise use of wetlands,
to benefit biodiversity and human well-being.
http://www.wetlands.org/
Florian Keil, Information Officer, UNEP/AEWA
Secretariat
Francisco Rilla, Information Officer, UNEP/CMS
Secretariat
Veronika Lenarz, Senior Information Assistant,
UNEP/CMS Secretariat
Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson/Head of Media,
UNEP
at BirdLife International:
Nick Askew, Communications Officer, BirdLife
International
at Wetlands International:
Alex Kaat, Communications Manager, Wetlands
International
For more information please visit:
http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org (PRESS
MATERIALS)
+ More
New Global Initiative
to Connect Environmental Information Networks
UNEP and the Abu Dhabi
Environment Agency collaborate on linking
multi-disciplinary and thematic networks
to share environmental data and information.
Nairobi/Abu Dhabi, 7
May 2009 - The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency
(EAD) and the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) welcomed over fifty environmental
information and data experts from around
the world at the first Global Environmental
Information Networking (EIN) Meeting which
was held in Abu Dhabi from 27 to 29 April
2009.
The 3-day meeting consisted
of formal presentations on networking and
environmental data initiatives complemented
by working group discussions on strategic
issues such as network governance, capacity
building, technology support, data sharing
and applications.
The meeting exposed
participants to a wide range of experiences
from a national, sub-regional, regional
and global perspective. Participants discussed
and shared experience regarding both their
challenges and best practices during the
meeting, highlighting key requirements for
bridging environmental data and information
gaps at a global level.
Dr Jaber Eidha Al Jaberi,
EAD Director Environment Policy, emphasized
the importance of this meeting to the Abu
Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative
(AGEDI) and its ongoing and upcoming national,
regional and international projects. Dr
Al Jaberi urged the meeting participants
to continue building upon this experience
and increase alliances in order to minimize
the environmental data gap through the exchange
of best practice based on documented success
stories.
Welcoming the outcome
of the Abu Dhabi meeting, UNEP Executive
Director and Under-Secretary-General Achim
Steiner said: "This global environmental
information network provides a solid institutional
framework for good environmental governance
at all levels. Indeed, strengthening multilateral
institutional cooperation is a key part
of supporting the decision-making processes
needed to address environmental challenges."
Mr Steiner expressed
his gratitude to the Environment Agency
Abu Dhabi for providing financial support
and hosting the meeting. The Agency has
been a key partner for UNEP in the area
of environmental information networking
and data exchange since the joint launch
of the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Information
Initiative (AGEDI) at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002.
The meeting report and
presentations are available at www.agedi.ae.
Environmental institutions, information
specialists and other interested stakeholders
are encouraged to join the global environmental
information networking initiative and assist
with charting the roadmap for its future
activities.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
contacts:
Adel Farid Abdel-Kader, Ph.D.
Regional Coordinator
UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment
(DEWA)-West Asia
P.O. Box 10880
Bahrain, Manama
Gerard Cunningham
Infoterra Network Coordinator
Capacity Development Branch
Division of Early Warning and Assessment
United Nations Environment Programme
PO Box 30552, Nairobi 00100, KENYA
Web: www.unep.org
Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) contact:
Sobhia Al Masry
Senior Media Relations Coordinator
Environment Awareness Sector
Environment Agency ? Abu Dhabi
P.O.Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Web: www.ead.ae
