AEWA

05/06/2026

🌎 Calling embroidery artists worldwide! 🧵🐦

We’re excited to launch the Embroidery Competition celebrating the 2026 theme “ : Your Observations Matter.” This creative global contest is part of World Migratory Bird Day 2026.

Inspired by this year’s official poster, created in embroidery, we invite participants to explore this artistic medium and showcase the creativity of our global community. Just as every bird observation contributes valuable information to community science, every stitch in your embroidery can help tell a story about conservation and the importance of conserving migratory birds.

🌍 Who can participate?
Anyone, anywhere in the world! The contest is open to youth (under 18) and adults (18+).

🧵 Technique
Free embroidery technique (traditional embroidery, cross-stitch, crewel, stumpwork, and more).

🐦 Bonus Points
Entries that feature one of the 2026 ambassador migratory bird species will receive extra consideration during judging.

📸 What to submit
3 high-resolution photos of your embroidery (1 full design and 2 detail shots)

A short narrative (max. 150 words) explaining how your piece reflects World Migratory Bird Day and the theme “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter.”

📅 Submission deadline: September 30, 2026

🏆 Winners announced: November 2026

🔗 Learn more and submit your entry through the link: https://www.migratorybirdday.org/contest/

🪡🌿🐦

05/06/2026

is the theme of today's and AEWA joins the global call for urgent climate action to safeguard migratory waterbirds and the ecosystems on which they depend.

is already reshaping the conditions that sustain waterbirds, including shifts in rainfall patterns, increased frequency of droughts and floods, sea-level rise, and changes in land use and water availability across flyways. These impacts affect not only individual wetlands, but also the wider ecological networks that waterbirds rely on throughout their life cycles.

Effective adaptation requires action at multiple levels: protecting, managing and restoring key wetlands, strengthening networks of interconnected sites to enable species movement, and reducing non-climatic pressures such as habitat destruction and degradation, and unsustainable resource use. At the landscape level, more sustainable land and water management in agriculture can help create conditions that support waterbird populations.

Climate adaptation must be context-specific and based on local ecological needs. It must be implemented in close consultation with stakeholders and supported by strong partnerships and adequate resources. By acting now across sites, landscapes and policy frameworks, we can strengthen resilience and help ensure migratory waterbirds continue to thrive along the world’s flyways in a changing climate.

Learn more:https://www.unep-aewa.org/sites/default/files/publication/cg_12_0.pdf

22/05/2026

On today's International Day for Biological Diversity, AEWA joins the global call to highlight the important role that every individual and community can play in conserving biodiversity and preserving migratory waterbirds and their habitats.

Healthy wetlands – including rivers, lakes and coastal areas – are essential for both people and wildlife. Protecting wetlands and maintaining viable waterbird populations is critical for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations. Where habitats have already been degraded, wetland restoration can also deliver remarkable results. In the United Kingdom, for example, the restoration of degraded wetlands and former industrial sites has helped bring back the iconic Eurasian Bittern, whose booming call can once again be heard across restored reedbeds and lakes in the UK.

Major changes begin on a small, local scale. Everyone can contribute through simple actions that can make a meaningful difference, including:
➡️ avoiding disturbance to waterbirds, especially during the breeding season;
➡️ supporting the protection and restoration of wetland habitats;
➡️ promoting the sustainable use of waterbirds and aquatic resources, including responsible fishing and harvesting practices;
➡️ reducing plastic pollution and litter in wetlands and waterways;
➡️ using water sustainably and encouraging environmentally responsible practices in local communities.

Every action contributes to global biodiversity conservation. Together, we can help ensure a safer future for migratory waterbirds and the ecosystems on which both wildlife and people depend.

🔗 https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day/2026

13/05/2026

🎬 How can innovative technologies help improve the conservation of migratory waterbirds in the wetlands of the Sahel?

A new video produced under the RESSOURCE+ Project showcases how drone imagery and artificial intelligence are being used to test innovative bird counting techniques in Senegal, through collaboration between the Senegalese National Parks Directorate, OMPO and the University of Liège / Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech.

The supports the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands while promoting innovative solutions that help balance biodiversity conservation and human development.

The data collected contributes to long-term monitoring efforts, helping strengthen conservation strategies and improve conservation measures for migratory waterbirds and their habitats.

Launched in the context of this year’s campaign with the theme “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, the video also highlights the importance of international cooperation, science and innovative approaches for bird conservation.

Watch the video (in French) here:

Les zones humides du Sahel accueillent chaque année des millions d’oiseaux d’eau migrateurs venus de toute l’Eurasie. Leur suivi est essentiel pour mieux com...

12/05/2026

09/05/2026

To mark 2026, Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of The Convention on Wetlands, reflects on why protecting migratory birds means protecting the full chain of wetlands and habitats they depend on across countries and regions.

This year’s theme highlights the vital role of citizen science. From long-running waterbird counts to global datasets that inform policy, hundreds of thousands of people help make migratory bird conservation possible.

A year after Ramsar COP15, the waterbird flyways resolution sets out a practical way forward: better monitoring, stronger national action, and closer cooperation across borders.

Read the op-ed: https://www.unep-aewa.org/news/migratory-birds-dont-stop-borders-policy-shouldnt-either

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

Behind every informed conservation decision to safeguard migratory waterbirds, there is field data, and behind that data are dedicated people.

For 2026, AEWA Acting Executive Secretary Sergey Dereliev highlights the vital role of citizen science in migratory bird conservation, and pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers whose observations help inform policy and action.

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census. It serves as a powerful reminder that every observation matters, every bird counts, and every observer makes a difference.

Watch his video statement and learn how your own observations can help protect migratory birds at www.worldmigratorybirdday.org

09/05/2026

08/05/2026

What if your next bird sighting could help protect migratory birds?

On World Migratory Bird Day 2026, the message is simple: Every Bird Counts - Your Observations Matter! 🐦

From a bird spotted in your backyard to a flock counted at a wetland, observations shared through community and citizen science help scientists track migration, detect population changes, identify threats and guide conservation action across the world’s flyways.

Tomorrow, Saturday, 9 May, join people around the world in celebrating the incredible journeys of migratory birds and the power we all have to support their conservation.

Because whether you are a lifelong birder or just curious about the birds passing through your neighbourhood, your observations can be part of something much bigger.

Read the full story and find out how to take part in : https://www.unep-aewa.org/news/every-bird-counts-world-migratory-bird-day-2026-highlights-how-every-observation-matters

In partnership with World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), Convention on Migratory Species, East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) & Environment for the Americas