Celebrating International Migratory Bird Day

Many of you may not know that every year, May 8^th is celebrated as International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) to recognize and appreciate the amazing journeys of migratory birds from their wintering grounds to the spring and summer breeding grounds. The first IMBD for North America started in 1993 and was related to the North American Migratory Bird Treaty. Another World Migratory Bird Day was set in 2006 by the UN to raise awareness of the migratory bird connections between Africa and Eurasia. In 2018 the two programs joined together to create one global program and event. The second weekend of May is the selected date for this celebration, but in other countries and regions of the world similar events are held on other dates, recognizing that bird migrations cover vast distances and peak at different times. The most common event held is a Big Day bird count where participants record as many species as they can over a 24 hour period. 

First Big Day Bird Count on Mayne Island

So, on May 8^th 2021, the Mayne Island Conservancy launched its first annual event—the Mayne Island Big Day Bird Count. Thirty-five people spent some part of their day counting species of birds encountered along the way. Over the course of the day 88 species of birds were tallied. What a great beginning to our first time event! The list of birds observed provides a snap shot of the diversity of birds that choose Mayne Island as a place to raise young or as a place to feed up to fly further north or east. This diversity speaks to the continued availability of appropriate feeding and breeding habitats in predictable supply year in and year out. Many of the birds that were tallied are dependent on intact forests for this purpose and do not fare well in fragmented landscapes that make them susceptible to predators. 

88 Species: Mayne Island Big Day, May 8, 2021