World Migratory Bird Day: Across oceans and skies, every bird counts

Language

China

2026.05.09 19:30 GMT+8

World Migratory Bird Day: Across oceans and skies, every bird counts

Updated 2026.05.09 19:30 GMT+8

CGTN

A demoiselle crane and its chicks. /VCG

From wetlands and coastlines to forests and grasslands, migratory birds connect ecosystems across continents along major global flyways.

Marked by the theme "Every Bird Counts: Your Observations Matter," World Migratory Bird Day 2026 highlights how public bird observations – from coordinated surveys to everyday birdwatching – help scientists track migration routes, population changes and habitat pressures worldwide.

Every recorded sighting adds to a growing body of knowledge that supports conservation across borders, reminding us that protecting migratory birds also means protecting the ecosystems shared by all life along the flyways.

Take a look at these striking migratory birds that travel across continents each year.

A rosy starling. /VCG

Common cranes stand in the field in Brandenburg, Germany, February 28, 2026. /VCG

Grey-headed swamphens run in a wetland in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, India, January 7, 2026. /VCG

An Arctic tern. /VCG

A redstart is seen at Karacabey Longoz Forest in Bursa, Turkiye, November 18, 2025. /VCG

A falcated duck swims in a lake in Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, March 26, 2026. /VCG

A pied avocet is seen in Tianjin, China, April 7, 2026. /VCG

A scarlet tanager. /VCG

A black-faced spoonbill is seen at the Shenzhen Bay, Guangdong Province, south China, February 18, 2026. /VCG

For more:

World Migratory Bird Day: Feathered travelers over the city skies

World Migratory Bird Day: Aerial visitors over lands and waters

(Cover designed by CGTN's Yu Peng)

World Migratory Bird Day: Across oceans and skies, every bird counts

RELATED STORIES