Sing,Fly,Soar-Like a Bird! Is the theme of this year’s world migratory bird day 8th May 2021. It is celebrated twice a year on the second Saturday of May and on the second Saturday of October. This celebration is done twice a year representing the fact that birds migrate twice a year. The campaign this year focuses on the phenomenon of Bird song and bird flight as a means to inspire people of different ages with the willingness to celebrate Word migratory birds day. And with a common goal of protecting their habitats and flyways which they need to survive. Word migratory bird day is the only international awareness-raising and educative program that celebrates the migratory birds.
Why Conserve Migratory Birds
Based on the avifauna inventory carried out by the organization of Forestry and Rural Development (FODER) the Tchabal mbabo forest is home to 125 species of birds belonging to forty-five families, and an abundance of 2072 individuals. Twenty two of these avian species are migratory bird; Yellow-breasted Boubou (Laniarius atroflavus) LC, Bangwa Warbler(Bradypterus bangwaensis) LC, Cameroon Mountain Greenbul (Arizelocichla montana) NT, West Mountain Greenbul ( Arizelocichla tephrolaema) LC, Bannerman’s Weaver (Ploceus bannermani) VU etc These migratory species are of great importance to the ecosystem as they provide enormous ecosystem services such as pest control by devouring insects such as locus which are dangerous to plants, they also play a vital role in plant pollination and also in the transportation of fish eggs from one water body to another. Migratory birds are also a source of recreation as bird watchers all over the world are entertained by the aesthetic beauty of nature as the fly along their flyways.
From the above mentioned importance of migratory birds it is evident that this avian species need to be protected and the organization of Forestry and Rural Development (FODER) recommends the following practices in order to help protect this beauty of nature.
- Inculcate Bird-friendly habits: The fragmentation of boreal forest which birds rely on, for the creation of roads, building of infrastructure, agricultural purposes etc Decreases the distance between forest edge and the interior making bird’s nest vulnerable to predators
- Reduce window collision: migratory birds are not confined to one specific area as they migrate from one region to another covering very large distances. Window collision is responsible for the killing of millions of birds thus it is advised to either add markers to windows so birds can be able to differentiates between real object and windows Or simply switch off lights at night
- Avoid the use of harmful pesticides: Harmful pesticides present in paint, wood preservative chemicals and insecticide Can kill birds directly, poison them without killing them, affects them by reducing their food and habitats sources so it is advice to research In order to use environmental friendly products to carry out your outdoor projects
Cat preying on bird
- Keep your cats indoors: During the process of migrating, birds spend some time in the air and some time on land where one of their greatest predator is found the Cat which is known to prey on birds flying even as high as 2m
