News wetlands

Great Knots (Endangered) and Bar-tailed Godwits (Near Threatened) feed here © Jens Eriksen

Irreplaceable: Barr Al Hikman, Arabian peninsula...

Tue, 02/02/2021
Barr Al Hikman in Oman is a vital rest stop for more than half a million birds, boasting some of the highest shorebird densities of any intertidal mudflat. The formal protection of this site would therefore secure a crucial, truly irreplaceable, hub for migratory birds.
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WorldwideOman

5 Reasons to ban lead shot in wetlands

Fri, 23/10/2020

Lead is poison for birds, biodiversity and people.

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Europe and Central Asia
The Common Ringed Plover weights only 64 grams, but migrates thousands of kilometres © Zeynel Cebeci

Introducing our new Spring Alive species: the...

Mon, 07/09/2020
As birds migrate from Europe to their wintering grounds in Africa, we explore the fascinating behaviour of the Common Ringed Plover, a small but feisty wader familiar across Africa’s wetlands.
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Worldwide
50% of the world's Spoon-Billed Sandpipers (Critically Endangered) overwinter here © Yann Muzika

Myanmar shorebirds get four-fold expansion in...

Fri, 03/04/2020
One of Asia’s most important shorebird sanctuaries has just quadrupled in size thanks to years of advocacy from our Myanmar Partner. Here's how they connected insight with action to help birds on the brink and the people who live alongside them.
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WorldwideBurma
© Ghana Wildlife Society

Marking World Wetlands Day in Africa

Thu, 12/03/2020
On the first Sunday of February every year, the world marks World Wetlands Day to raise awareness of the vital role played by wetlands. This year, BirdLife partners across Africa celebrated the theme: “Life thrives in Wetlands”.
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AfricaBotswanaGhanaKenyaNigeriaSenegalUgandaZambia
White-rumped Vulture © Vickey Chauhan / Shutterstock

Local people protect Nepal lake by welcoming...

Tue, 06/08/2019
How are the Tharu community helping to protect their lake and the rare birds that live there? Why not visit them and find out! Thanks to an innovative homestay programme, wildlife lovers the world over are flocking to the area, helping wildlife and people as they do.
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AsiaNepal
Hula Valley Reserve is a key stopover for migrating birds on the African-Eurasian Flyway © Protasov AN

Protecting waterbird habitats to combat the...

Fri, 01/02/2019
How will wetlands, estuaries and other essential waterbird habitats be affected by climate change? The new Climate Resilient Flyway Project pinpoints sites that will be hardest hit, and unites countries and organisations in order to protect them and their essential functions.
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Worldwide
Nanthar island hosts up to 12% of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper population © Butterfly Hunter/ Shutterstock

Mud, glorious mud! Spoonie’s winter wetland...

Thu, 31/01/2019
Nanthar Island, Myanmar is a crucial wintering site for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Critically Endangered). Thanks to the advocacy of BANCA (BirdLife in Myanmar) and local people, the site has now been designated a protected area.
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Worldwide
Gediz Delta supports a third of Europe's Greater Flamingos © Ron Knight / Flickr

Victory: flamingo haven Gediz Delta saved from...

Wed, 30/01/2019
Following a successful court case lead by Doğa (BirdLife in Turkey), the proposal to build a mega-bridge spanning the Izmir Bay has been permanently dropped. The project would have destroyed crucial breeding islands for the Greater Flamingo and irreparably changed the delicate ecosystem.
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WorldwideTurkey
Little Spiderhunter © noicherrybeans / Shutterstock

Why we need birds (far more than they need us)

Fri, 04/01/2019
Can you imagine a world without birds? The benefits birds bring us aren't just cultural. Birds play an essential role in the functioning of the world's ecosystems, in a way that directly impacts human health, economy and food production - as well as millions of other species. Here's how...
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Worldwide
The Chinese Egret relies on the mangroves and mudflats as a refuelling site on migration © JJ Harrison

Great news for Singapore shorebirds: new...

Mon, 29/10/2018
This month, wetlands containing one of Singapore’s last remaining mangroves have secured protection after years of concerted advocacy. This move will benefit globally threatened birds such as the Chinese Egret and Straw-headed Bulbul.
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WorldwideSingapore
Mar Chiquita lake harbours most of the planet's Chilean Flamingos © Pablo Rodriguez Merkel

Argentina is about to get its largest National...

Mon, 30/07/2018
This year’s British Birdwatching Fair will support the creation of Argentina's largest national park, in the process providing a haven to nearly a million flamingos and shorebirds.
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WorldwideArgentina
Gediz delta is a refuge for the Red-breasted Goose, which is Vulnerable to extinction © Goean / Shutterstock

Irreplaceable: Gediz Delta, Turkey – a bridge...

Mon, 30/07/2018
A proposed mega-bridge spanning the Izmir Bay threatens to obliterate crucial waterbird breeding grounds, which are also a haven for rare seals and sea turtles. And that’s not the only thing threatening this unique site. Read about the actions taken so far to secure this habitat in danger.
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WorldwideTurkey
The summit will address how best to conserve the world's migration superhighways © Shutterstock

Everything you need to know about our upcoming...

Mon, 26/03/2018
This April, some of the greatest minds of the conservation world will assemble at a global summit in Abu Dhabi, to thrash out the issues threatening our migratory birds. Below, we give a summary of the pressing topics we’ll be discussing.
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WorldwideUnited Arab Emirates
Le lac abrite diverses espèces d’oiseaux migrateurs tels que les grues © Fabian Haas

Le Kenya annonce une nouvelle aire protégée dans...

Wed, 14/03/2018
La nouvelle zone humide protégée du Lac Ol Bolossat au centre du Kenya qui couvre une superficie de 43,3 km2, est un site d’étape vital pour les oiseaux migrateurs et avait déjà été classée Zone importante pour la conservation des oiseaux.
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AfricaKenya
Lake Ol Bolossat is a key habitat for Endangered birds such as the Grey Crowned-crane © Fabian Haas

Rapid response turns shrinking Kenyan lake into...

Wed, 14/03/2018
Lake Ol Bolossat is home to thriving hippopotamus families and a wealth of stunning waterbirds. But human activity is drying up this oasis of life. Just in the nick of time, a CEPF-funded campaign persuaded the Kenyan Government to grant formal protection.
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WorldwideKenya
The Far Eastern Curlew is threatened by Australia's proposal to redevelop a vital wetland © Wang LiQiang/ Shutterstock

Curlew crisis deepens: vital Australian wetlands...

Thu, 19/10/2017
The curlews are one of the most widespread and far-travelling of all the bird families — and also one of the most threatened. It seems that wherever they roam, habitat loss and human encroachment follows. We can’t let the Far Eastern Curlew go the same way as its fellows.
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WorldwideAustraliaKazakhstanRussiaUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Safe at last: Spoonie’s winter wonderland becomes...

Mon, 05/06/2017

Picture it in your mind’s eye: a wild, untamed stretch of coast, where rapid, powerful

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AsiaBurma