The World Migratory Bird Day 2023 is a global day which is observed twice a year. The day is observed on the second Saturday of May and October in different countries. The World Migratory Bird Day is observed in the United States and Canada in May while in other countries it is observed in October.
The fall celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day 2023 will be held on October 14.
The idea of celebrating a day dedicated to migratory birds was introduced in the United States in 1993 when the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology began to observe a day that encourages bird festivals and conducts educational programmes across the nation. Later in 2016, the first World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated after getting launched by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in April.
World Migratory Bird Day focuses on the conservation of migratory birds. These are the birds that fly from different parts of the world to escape the winter season. This year, the day will be working on the topic of water and its importance for migratory birds, as a huge number of migratory birds rely on aquatic ecosystems during their life cycles.
Here are some interesting facts about the migratory birds:
• As 4,000 species of birds are regular migrants which is about 40 percent of the total number of bird species in the world.
• Interestingly, many migratory birds during their whole life span cover a distance comparable to the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
• Ornithologists have proven that migratory birds orient themselves by the direction of the sun and stars, just like the ancient navigators used to do.
• Most of migratory birds fly in a V-shaped flock, as flying in this shape reduces the air resistance and makes the flight easier for them.
• Reports suggest that most of the migratory birds diligently eat off and gain weight before starting their journey. The fat that has been reserved is then used up during the flight, as birds will rarely be distracted by food.
• Bar-headed geese are the highest-flying migratory birds which can reach an altitude of up to five and a half miles above sea level.
• Snipes can fly around 4,200 miles at a speed of up to 60 mph, which is the fastest of all migratory birds. On the other hand, the Bar-tailed Godwit can fly for nearly 7,000 miles without stopping, making it the longest recorded non-stop flight by any migratory bird.
• Besides the flyers, the large Australian birds, Emus often travel for miles on foot to find food while a huge number of penguins migrate by swimming.
(Edited by : Vivek Dubey)
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