WMBD2023: A Big Day, Globally, Regionally & Locally

WMBD2023 poster

We are just days away from World Migratory Bird Day, an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.  This campaign occurs twice a year around the two peak days of bird migration, which fall this year on May 13th and October 14th. Each year a theme is selected to highlight an important issue of importance to bird conservation. 2023's theme is Water: Sustaining Bird Life and focuses on the importance of water and aquatic ecosystems for migratory birds. Globally many events are planned on these days but none as big as Cornell Lab of Ornithology Global Big Day

Global Big Day

The Global Big Day is the biggest global birding event of the year.  It brings together birders from all over the world with one common goal, to document as many bird species as possible in a single day. Last year more than 51,000 people from 201 countries took part and submitted 132,000 checklists to eBird, which was a new record for one day of birding.  We record over 7,600 bird species. Can we top that this year? with your help, we can - Click here to see how you can participate

Birds Caribbean, the largest regional organization dedicated to the conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats, is driving the regional awareness campaign for World Migratory Bird Day.  It is doing this with its annual Global Big Day team event and Fundraisers. It is an event where birders from the region and their friends across the world form virtual teams and compete to see which team reports the most bird species and raises the most funds towards a regional bird conservation cause.  This year funds raised will go towards Caribbean Bird Banding Network.  This will allow the organization to host training workshops, sponsor internships, provide banding supplies, and grow the community of scientists that are advancing research and conservation of Caribbean birds. For the third time this year, a locally based team will be taking part.

Our local team is called Bajan Birders & Friends.  A relatively small team made up of local birders and birders from the region and across the world who have visited Barbados. Last year our nine-member team from 5 different countries outdid itself.  We tallied 195 species placing 7th out of the fifteen teams.  When it came to the average number of species seen observed per person for each of the 15 teams, we place 2nd with 22 species per person. We were disappointed though with raising only $55.  This year I am hoping we finish in the top 4 and at least double our last year's funds.  Help our team Bajan Birders & Friends by becoming a team member or/and contributing to the fundraising effort.  To do so is easy Just follow these steps.

So what are your plans for May 13th, World Migratory Bird Day? Whatever you are doing be safe, and if it birding? Enjoy your birding.