AEWA

14/10/2026

10/10/2026

Meet the Abdim's Stork, one of the ambassador species of this year's ! 🐦

Listed under AEWA, this migratory waterbird breeds from Mali in West Africa to East Africa and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, often nesting in baobab trees and other large trees within or near villages. During the non-breeding season, it migrates to East and Southern Africa, where citizen scientists contributing to the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) help document its distribution.

On today's World Migratory Bird Day, Sergey Dereliev, Acting Executive Secretary of AEWA, pays tribute to the people behind these observations:

"The Abdim's Stork, an AEWA-listed species featured on this year's World Migratory Bird Day poster, is one of many migratory waterbird species being documented through citizen science work across the African-Eurasian flyways. As we celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and the 60th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census, we pay tribute not only to the tens of thousands of volunteers contributing to this remarkable global monitoring effort, but also to the many people participating in other citizen science initiatives, such as bird atlases, across Africa, Eurasia and along all the world's flyways. Their observations provide essential data that contribute to status assessments and influence policy decisions under AEWA, reminding us that every bird counts and every observation matters."

Thank you to all the volunteers who count, record and share their observations of migratory birds across the African-Eurasian flyways and beyond!

Your observations matter and ! 🌍

Learn more about the Abdim's Stork ➡️ https://www.unep-aewa.org/news/every-observation-counts-putting-abdims-stork-map

10/10/2026

Today marks the second peak day of !

The campaign is celebrated twice a year, in May and October, to reflect the cyclical nature of bird migration and the different migration periods in the northern and southern hemispheres. The campaign raises awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them along their flyways.

This year's theme, "Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!", celebrates the vital contribution of citizen science to the conservation of migratory birds. Every observation recorded by volunteers adds to our understanding of population trends, migration routes and the pressures birds face.

For AEWA, this knowledge is essential: data from the International Waterbird Census (IWC), collected by thousands of volunteers and professionals across the African-Eurasian flyways, are a key source for the AEWA Conservation Status Reports, which guide the decisions of the Parties. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census, a remarkable testament to sustained collaboration between citizens, scientists and governments can achieve.

Be part of the global celebration! Get outside, look up and join people around the world celebrating migratory birds.

Learn more and find out how to take part: https://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/

08/10/2026

Celebrating the “UN in Bonn” on World Migratory Bird Day!

This upcoming Saturday, 10th October, the Bonn.de (City of Bonn) and United Nations Organizations in Bonn will be celebrating United Nations Day under the motto "The SDGs and 30 Years of UN Bonn".

For three decades, the German city of Bonn has been home to a growing community of United Nations organisations working together for a sustainable future.

As one of the UN entities operating from Bonn, the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat has been successfully providing coordination to conservation and management action for migratory waterbirds and their habitats across the African-Eurasian flyways – a vast geographic area that spans Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and even the Canadian Archipelago.

Through the conservation of migratory waterbirds and the habitats they depend on, AEWA significantly contributes to the 2030 Agenda, in particular to the SDG goals on life on land (SDG 15), life below water (SDG 14) and clean water (SDG 6).

The UN Day celebrations being held in Bonn coincide with the second peak day of World Migratory Bird Day 2026, a fitting reminder that migratory birds, like the challenges we face, know no borders and can only be effectively conserved through international cooperation.

Visit our stand in the UN tent on the Bonn market square and discover how AEWA and the UN in Bonn contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals!

Migratory waterbirds connect ecosystems and cultures over the conti...

06/10/2026

Community science is helping reveal how migratory bird populations are changing around the world. 🐦🔭

Ahead of this Saturday, 10 October, our latest news release highlights findings from across the flyways:

🔹 Public sightings of the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper are helping refine population estimates in Asia.
🔹 Volunteer observations in North America are helping track changes in Barn Swallow populations.
🔹 In southern Africa, citizen scientists are helping fill monitoring gaps for the Abdim’s Stork.

Every observation can contribute to a better understanding of migratory birds and the places they depend on.

Learn more: https://www.unep-aewa.org/news/community-science-takes-centre-stage-world-migratory-bird-day

15/09/2026

UNEP/AEWA Secretariat Joins Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi

Last week, the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat joined the in Nairobi, which brought together governments, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Regional Development Banks, conservation organisations and experts from across the world to strengthen cooperation for migratory bird conservation. The Summit, organised by BirdLife International, also saw the launch of the 2026 edition of the State of the World’s Birds report (https://sowb.birdlife.org/), highlighting the urgent need for coordinated action across flyways.

Representing the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat at the event, Sergey Dereliev, Acting Executive Secretary, took part in a session on “Navigating the Skies: Securing Multilateral Protection for the Flyways”, where participants discussed how BirdLife International and its national partners can help strengthen their engagement with flyway conservation frameworks such as AEWA, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). The session also included an engaging discussion on the succession of the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa and the future of AEWA implementation in Africa.

Reflecting on the Summit and the launch of the State of the World’s Birds (SOWB) 2026 report on 11 September, Mr Dereliev noted:

“The message emerging from both the SOWB report and the Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi is stronger than ever: bird conservation is no longer only about saving species, it is about addressing the planetary crisis that affects all life on earth. Birds are showing the way forward to a healthier planet for us all.”

On the margins of the Summit, amongst the several bilateral meetings, Mr Dereliev met with AEWA partner organisations from within the BirdLife partnership, including with ACBK (https://www.acbk.kz/), BSPB (https://bspb.org/en/) and BirdLife South Africa (https://birdlife.org.za/) – who are coordinating AEWA International Species Working Groups for the Sociable Lapwing, Red-breasted Goose and White-winged Flufftail, respectively.