New report reveals that 45% of migratory bird species now in decline

by Gozo News · September 12, 2026

BirdLife International has launched the State of the World’s Birds report at the Global Flyways Summit, co-hosted by Nature Kenya. Published every four years, this is the first edition devoted to migratory birds and the flyways they depend on.

The report’s findings are stark, revealing that 45% of migratory bird species are in decline. One in nine is threatened with extinction. The 2025 extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew, last recorded at a Moroccan lagoon in February 1995, marks the first global bird extinction in mainland Eurasia and Africa in recent centuries, with six other migratory species confirmed or suspected to have been lost in the last 150 years. Species dependent on marine habitats, forests and coastal wetlands are faring particularly poorly; seabirds and waders are among the most threatened.

Yet the report also documents hope. These declines stem from well-understood, ”human-caused factors: invasive species, agricultural intensification, climate change, and unsustainable hunting.” When farming, fishing and land practices are addressed across a whole migration route, rather than at single sites, bird populations respond. For example, multi-country action for Egyptian Vulture has halted the decline of the Balkan breeding population.

“Migratory birds are sentinels, and their declines reveal growing pressure on the natural systems that sustain us. But the science is equally clear: conservation works, with co- ordinated action preventing extinctions and helping populations recover. The solutions exist: what is needed now is their implementation at flyway scale,” said Dr Stuart Butchart FRS, Chief Scientist, BirdLife International, and senior editor of State of the World’s Birds

This report highlights a fundamental truth: ”a flyway is not simply a line on a map, but a broad interconnected network of critical sites and essential habitats supporting migratory birds across continents and seasons. When one link is broken or weakened, the entire chain is at risk.”

Recognising this interconnectedness, BirdLife International – the only global Partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet, with 125 Partners in 120 countries – developed the Global Flyways Programme. Rather than focusing on individual sites, species or national borders, this approach aims to secure and restore entire flyways, with Partners working together from breeding grounds to stopover sites and non-breeding areas.

The summit also saw key stakeholders including governments, scientists, NGOs, conservationists and financial institutions signed the Nairobi Flyways Declaration, committing to stepping up efforts and cooperation to protect migratory birds and their habitats across borders, alongside more than $6 billion in conservation finance being mobilised by development banks since 2021. Together, these milestones signal a step-change in coordinated global response for flyway conservation, the summit noted.

“Migratory birds do not recognise borders. They connect Asia to Africa, the Arctic to the tropics. The Nairobi Flyways Declaration acknowledges this reality – that it needs international cooperation and coordination to keep migratory birds safe. I am excited and proud to see that the scientific community, conservation organisations and the financial sector are uniting to make this happen. At last we stand at an important turning point. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time,” stated Princess Takamado, member of the Japanese Imperial Family and Honorary President of BirdLife International

Senior representatives from the World Bank and regional development banks attended the summit, signalling unprecedented institutional commitment. Three multilateral development banks are integrating flyway conservation into their lending frameworks, bringing commitments made since 2021 to more than $6 billion.

The Asian Development Bank said that it is mobilising $3 billion over the next decade to protect at least 50 priority wetlands across the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, supporting nearly 200 million people who depend on these ecosystems. In the Americas, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean is mobilising $3-5 billion through 2050 to safeguard more than 30 landscapes and seascapes. The World Bank and BirdLife are mobilising several billion dollars across Africa, Europe and Asia along flyways used by more than two billion migratory birds.

Momentum is also growing for community-led action. In June 2026, the Global Environment Facility approved the Global Flyways Grant Mechanism, providing $8.97 million in direct grants and $107 million in co-financing for conservation and restoration across nine million hectares of wetlands, benefiting an estimated 330,000 people.

“The state of the world’s birds is a stark warning that nature needs urgent, decisive action and a fundamental change in how we treat our natural world. The signing of this declaration by all BirdLife Partners shows our collective commitment to work even harder to achieve this. For BirdLife Malta, this commitment carries extra weight. Situated at the heart of the Mediterranean, on one of the most important migratory flyways in the world, our islands have a profound responsibility. We feel that responsibility deeply, and we are determined to strengthen and expand our conservation work, for birds, for nature, and for people,” said Mark Sultana, Chief Executive, BirdLife Malta

BirdLife Malta is a BirdLife Partner working towards conserving global biodiversity and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.

“The State of the World’s Birds report is unambiguous: we are losing migratory birds at an alarming rate. But today’s Nairobi Declaration signals a turning point. We need everyone to step up and play their part. That means governments, business and civil society. Development banks are rising to the challenge. The BirdLife Partnership is prepared to act. We now need others to step up to reverse the declines and save the wonder of migration,” concluded Martin Harper, Chief Executive, BirdLife International.