Tehran – Celebrated Every other year – May 10th and October 11th – World Migrant Birds Day (WMBD) aims to raise awareness of the many challenges migrant birds face with human activities, including urban development.
Each year, WMBD selects a central theme to encourage action and focus global efforts to maintain migratory bird habitat and well-being.
This year’s theme, “Common Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” combines scientific insights with practical steps from individuals and communities to support these incredible creatures, highlighting the urgent need for bird-friendly cities.
It focuses on creating and adapting environments that support migratory bird populations in all communities, from bustling cities to small towns and communities. The day encourages action from all sectors, including national and local governments, businesses, community groups and individuals around the world.
WMBD 2025 highlights that all urban to rural communities can play an important role in supporting migratory birds. Through good urban planning, communities can contribute significantly to the well-being of migratory birds by adopting bird-friendly practices such as creating healthy habitats, reducing pollution, and preventing collisions with glass windows and other built objects.
City expansion and artificial environments pose a major threat to these birds if not properly managed, increasing the risk of habitat loss and fatal collisions with buildings and glass.
Not only can we strive to collaborate with neighbours, schools and local organizations, but also through good upstream planning for sustainable urban development to avoid habitat sprawl and destruction, everyone can protect birds and raise awareness about their importance to the health of the planet and its ecosystem.
By bringing nature back to our cities and working together, citizens and elected officials can help the natural environment as well as reduce the negative impacts of urbanization on biodiversity.
Iran’s important halt for migratory birds
According to an official from the Ministry of the Environment, Iran is the most important country in West Asia, as it flies around 2 million birds each year to spend the winter in the country’s wetlands.
Covering many wetlands, reservoirs and diverse water bodies, Iran welcomes millions of migratory birds each year. The country has also emerged as the most important stop for migratory birds on the route from Siberia to the Nile, with 16% of whom opting to spend the winter in the country, so Isna quoted Hassan Akbari as saying.
A diverse range of migratory birds have flew to the country, with over 160 species of aquatic and waterside birds identified in Iran, a considerable number.
Despite the limited water resources in the country’s domestic habitat, studies of migratory bird population trends show that the abundance and diversity of birds entering the country has not decreased. Most of them fly to the coastal regions of the Caspian Islands and the Persian Gulf.
Iran hosts more than 5% of the world’s migratory birds on 450 sites in winter, Akbari said.
“Around 30-40 million birds are counted worldwide each year, with relevant statistics recorded in the International Waterfowl Census (IWC) database,” he added.
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