Tehran – Celebrated twice a year, in May and October. World Migratory Bird Day 2025 aims to raise awareness of the many challenges faced by migratory birds due to expanding human activities and urban development, and to inspire change to design urban environments that support both birds and humans.
The WMBD observed on May 10 and October 11 reflects the cyclical nature of bird migration, with different migration periods in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The WMBD campaign is organized by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wildlife (CMS), the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), Environment of the Americas (EFTA), and the East Asian-Australian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP).
This global effort sparks countless educational events and unites people around the common goal of protecting migratory birds and their habitats.
Each year, on this day, a central theme is chosen to inspire action and focus global efforts towards protecting the habitat and health of migratory birds.
The 2025 theme, “Shared Spaces: Building Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” emphasizes the urgent need for bird-friendly cities, combining scientific insights with practical steps for individuals and communities to support these amazing creatures. Alarming declines in bird populations are prompting collective efforts to secure the future of migratory birds in and around urban environments.
By implementing good urban planning and bird-friendly practices such as creating healthy habitats, reducing pollution, and preventing conflicts with glass windows and other structures, communities can make a significant contribution to the well-being of migratory birds.
Iran, an important stopover point for migratory birds
Iran is the most important country in West Asia in terms of winter migratory bird habitat, with about 2 million birds arriving each year to spend the winter in the country’s wetlands, an environment ministry official said.
Iran has numerous wetlands, reservoirs, and diverse bodies of water that host millions of migratory birds each year. ISNA’s Hassan Akbari said that 16% of migratory birds choose to spend the winter in the country, and the country has also emerged as the most important stopover on the migratory bird flight route from Siberia to the Nile.
Iran is home to a wide variety of migratory birds, with over 160 species of waterfowl and riparian birds recognized.
Despite limited water resources in the country’s domestic habitats, studies of migratory bird population trends indicate that the number and diversity of invasive birds in the country is not decreasing. However, most of them fly to the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf.
According to Akbari, Iran is home to more than 5% of the world’s migratory birds during the winter in 450 locations.
“About 30 to 40 million birds are counted around the world every year, and related statistics are recorded in the International Waterfowl Census (IWC) database,” he added.
MT/MG