World Migratory Bird Day 2023 focuses on water and its importance to bird life.

Water is fundamental to sustaining life on our planet. Virtually all migratory birds rely on water and its associated habitats at some point during their life cycles. Lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, and coastal waters are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, and as places to rest and refuel during long seasonal migrations.

Unfortunately, these aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened around the world, and so are the migratory birds that depend on them. The increasing human demand for water, as well as pollution and climate change, is having a direct impact on the quantity and quality of water resources and on the conservation status of many migratory bird species.

Learn more in the graphic below:

Featured species in this year’s campaign include the Northern Shoveler, Rufous Hummingbird, Osprey, and Barn Swallow, just a few of the migratory birds you might encounter on a walk near Burnaby Lake this spring.

Add your name to become a Migratory Birds Defender.

Canada’s birds are in trouble. Grassland birds, aerial insectivores, and shorebirds have all experienced alarming population declines, and many more remain at-risk.

As Migratory Bird Defenders, we are asking decision-makers at all levels of government to promote healthy bird populations as a critical part of the ecosystems we all depend on.  Help us deliver a united call on behalf of Canada’s 450 bird species whose vanishing songs, chirps, tweets, and caws demand a simple but urgent message: it’s time to stand up for our country’s birds.

Add your name to become a Migratory Bird Defender and learn more about how you can protect birds in your community.

Check out the BLPA’s Bird Resources page.