#wmbd

Every year, billions of migratory birds travel across continents, oceans, forests, wetlands, and cities,connecting ecosystems and reminding us of the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth. Their remarkable journeys are among nature’s greatest wonders, symbolizing resilience, freedom, and the interconnectedness of our planet.

The 2026 theme, “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, highlights the importance of public participation in bird conservation. Every observation, every recorded sighting, and every shared piece of data contributes to scientific research, environmental monitoring, and global conservation efforts.

Birds are more than beautiful species in our skies, they are indicators of ecosystem health. Changes in bird populations often reflect wider environmental challenges such as habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. By paying attention to migratory birds, we gain valuable insight into the condition of the natural world around us.

This year’s theme reminds us that conservation is not limited to scientists and organizations alone. Citizens, students, photographers, nature enthusiasts, and local communities all have a role to play. Even a simple observation can help researchers understand migration patterns, identify environmental threats, and protect critical habitats for future generations.

Protecting migratory birds directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

🔹 SDG 15 – Life on Land

Conserving bird habitats helps protect biodiversity, forests, wetlands, and ecosystems essential for life on Earth.

🔹 SDG 13 – Climate Action

Migratory birds are deeply affected by climate change. Safeguarding ecosystems and reducing environmental impacts contribute to their survival.

🔹 SDG 14 – Life Below Water

Many migratory bird species depend on healthy coastal and marine ecosystems during their long journeys.

🔹 SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities

Creating bird-friendly urban spaces encourages coexistence between people and wildlife while promoting healthier environments.

🔹 SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

Successful conservation depends on global collaboration among governments, researchers, conservation groups, and local communities.

On this World Migratory Bird Day, let us recognize that every action matters. Whether it is observing birds responsibly, protecting natural habitats, spreading awareness, or supporting conservation initiatives, each contribution helps build a more sustainable and biodiverse future.

Because when we protect migratory birds, we protect the ecosystems that support all life including our own.

Insects and other invertebrates are an irreplaceable part of every ecosystem on Earth. When insects are in trouble, so is everyone else – as we can see clearly from the struggles facing many birds. In the past 50 years, bird populations in North America have dropped by over 3 billion individuals. Almost all of these losses come from species that feed on insects, mirroring the ongoing declines of those insects themselves. While that can sound bleak, it is also an opportunity: by conserving insects, we can make a difference for many more animals too!

The interconnectedness of insects and birds is at the core of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, and the Xerces Society is proud to be a partner with this movement to protect bugs and birds alike. While plenty of non-migratory birds also rely on insects for food, those species that do undertake long journeys every year are especially impacted when bugs are scarce. Whether enough insects are available can determine the timing, duration, and overall success of bird migrations.

Many birds rely on bugs for food during the most important parts of their lives

Insects, arachnids, and other bugs are a critical part of the diets of many birds. Bugs are full of remarkable nutrients, providing birds with protein-dense, high-energy sources of food. Some birds such as warblers, flycatchers, swallows, and swifts, feed on insects for most of their lives. However, many birds that we might not think of as insect-eaters rely on insects during migration and at other important stages in their lifecycle, in particular for raising their young before they are able to fly.

Indeed, many of the birds we regularly see eating seeds from feeders secretly also need insects to survive! Seeds are fine for adult birds that have strong enough beaks to break them open, but baby birds often can’t eat them at all! During the nesting season, parents must catch insects and spiders for their chicks.

Contrary to what many people think, we often underestimate how much birds of prey rely on insects for their diet. The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a species found all over the world and loves soaring over fields to snatch insects from the air. It captures the big ones like grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, dragonflies, butterflies and moths. 

Bird and bugs are facing the same threats

Where natural spaces, such as forests or grasslands, are transformed or destroyed by activities such as intensive agriculture or urban development, insect populations drop, often dramatically. Damage to a few key habitats can create a negative cascading effect that results in severe bird population declines, across the many species that share a migration route.

Likewise, pesticides often have dangerous consequence for wildlife. Many pesticides affect many different species, apart from their intended target. This can be either directly (by killing them) or indirectly (for example by polluting water bodies and affecting water invertebrates’ development). The use of chemicals in agricultural fields can dramatically decrease the population of kestrels and other birds that would otherwise control insect populations. And in our yards, pesticides can impact species like hummingbirds, and the insects they depend on for survival.  

Together we can take action for birds and bugs

Why are we at Xerces so happy for birds to eat plenty of our favorite insects? While it can be sad or uncomfortable to see a bug you like get eaten, that interaction is also a part of nature. A healthy ecosystem can support enough bugs that while some are eaten by birds, plenty others survive and reproduce. Birds also help control the populations of the few insect species that can be problems for humans, such as mosquitoes and insects that can damage crops.

And many of the strange and wonderful things about bugs, such as the bold colors of monarch butterflies, the incredible jumps of grasshoppers, or the fascinating mass emergence of cicadas, have been shaped by evolving in response to predators like birds. They wouldn't be the bugs we know and love without that evolutionary history. 

Every action we take to save insects from pesticides, or to conserve nesting habitat for birds, helps the other. Together, bird watchers and bug fans can make a healthier world for everyone.

Here are ways you can stand up for these animals:

Learn more about World Migratory Bird Day, and join an in-person or virtual event!

Create bug-friendly habitat around your home, and organize with other passionate people to protect larger areas from development and unregulated industry!

Use alternatives to pesticides, and support food growers that are committed to reducing pesticide use!

Protect nocturnal bugs, and birds migrating at night, from light pollution!

"We are thrilled to present the poster for this year's World Migratory Bird Day!; The hand-drawn illustrations by the talented artist Anna Rosepaints beautifully capture the essence of our campaign. Their intricate details not only showcase the beauty of birds but also emphasize the vital role of insects in the health and well-being of migratory birds.

Join us in spreading the word and building our conservation movement that transcends borders and languages. Share this incredible artwork far and wide to inspire others to protect our migratory birds!