World Migratory Bird Day: Those insects you detest play an important role in nature

Today is World Migratory Bird Day, an annual awareness campaign highlighting the need to conserve migratory birds, their habitats, and their journeys across borders.

The campaign has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise awareness worldwide of the threats faced by migratory birds, their importance to the environment, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Each year, the campaign features a central theme, prompts action, and coordinates global efforts to safeguard migratory birds and their habitats.

This year’s theme is ‘Protect Insects, Protect Birds’, to shine a light on the relationship between migratory birds and insects, both of which have been declining at an alarming rate. The day coincides with rare and fascinating insect events, such as the double-brood cicada emergence in North America and the synchronous fireflies event in the Smoky Mountains National Park, likely to occur later this month or in early June.

“What is good for birds is good for us. Let’s mark this special day by thinking about all the meaningful actions we can take to protect and conserve migratory birds here and everywhere.”

—Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada

Present in almost all of the world’s ecosystems, insects are essential food sources for birds, especially for migratory birds on their journeys across thousands of miles. The journeys of migratory birds are often timed to align with an abundance of insects along the way as they depend on these insects for food during migration stops and for breeding success and feeding their young ones.

In recent years, however, insect populations are declining, correlating with a decline in bird species that rely on them for survival. An analysis in the journal Science revealed that we are losing roughly 9% of the world’s insect population each decade. Deforestation, industrial agriculture, overuse of pesticides, light pollution, and climate change are major factors driving this trend (Reuters). Additionally, the USA and Canada have observed avian population declines, with a significant 29% drop in bird populations since 1970, equating to around 2.9 billion fewer birds.

In other parts of the world, the migration of the “wandering glider” dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) stands out for its remarkable impact on the journey of the Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) across Asia and Africa. In Europe, the decline of the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) has been linked to climate-related food shortages, whereby the birds now frequently arrive in European forests after the caterpillars have matured into insects, which their chicks cannot eat. The consequence of this mistiming was published in the journal Nature in 2006.

Here are a few of the things you as an individual can do to help the cause.

Plant native gardens to create suitable habitats for wildlife, including insects
Select organic products, thus avoiding harmful pesticides
Reduce destruction of habitat linked to property development and landscaping practice
Educate friends and family about the role insects play in our ecosystem
Support educational efforts aimed at insect conservation, including promoting their conservation at the community level
Create laws and regulations to protect insects and migratory birds
Encourage local conservation activities to maintain natural habitats for insects, birds, and other wildlife

“We cannot live without our six-legged friends, the insects. They may be small, scary, and often irritating, stinging and biting, but as a crucial part of the food chain, they are what our world relies on. They are especially important to birds, as they are nutritious, full of protein, and many rely solely on them for food. So, to keep our bird species alive, avoid pesticides, value mosquitoes, grow plants that flower, and spread the message—insects for life.”

—Jennifer George, chief executive at the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership