Nature’s ambassadors

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was celebrated worldwide on May 10 and 11.

The event used to be a regional programme until last year when the United Nations Environment Programme recognised it as an international event.

The main aim of WMBD is to raise awareness of the need to protect all migratory birds and their habitats throughout the world.

The theme for this year’s WMBD was "Migratory Birds – Ambassadors for Biodiversity".

Birds are the only creatures that are present in almost every part of the world. They are seen from the Arctic to Antarctic, from oceans to deserts, from lakes to city centres and from backyard gardens to oases. They are so vividly present around us that we must ensure we do not miss them.

In the UAE we have about 450 species of birds. Out of these, at least 350 are migratory.

And many of the 100 resident species are migratory during spring and summer, when they come here just to raise their brood.

Their annual migration not only helps remind us of the interconnectivity of life on our planet, but also takes them to some of the most biologically diverse areas on earth.

We urgently need to save our flying ambassadors because we are losing our natural habitats at an alarming rate.