Human-induced climate change has affected our planet, including migratory birds that are very sensitive to environmental changes.

Increasing temperatures, changing vegetation and extreme weather lead to significant changes in the birds’ essential habitats. Most times these are the likely reasons for the decline of bird populations and changes in migration patterns.

Every year, World Migratory Birds Day is celebrated with different themes to raise awareness about protecting the habitats of migratory birds. This year's theme was determined as "water" to address the importance of the resource for migratory birds.

Twice a year, billions of birds embark on incredible journeys across the globe. These birds follow specific routes called flyways, which act as super-highways in the sky. Their journey takes them south for the winter and back north in the spring to breed.

Studies revealed that migratory birds dependent on the aquatic ecosystem are increasingly threatened worldwide because of ecological crises, many factors such as increased consumption, pollution and a decrease in clean water have a direct impact on these birds.

For example, some bird species, such as the black-throated blue warbler, migrate about a week earlier than they did 50 years ago. Whereas some are not able to adapt to weather changes as quickly as others, so they miss out on some food resources necessary for reproduction.

The sudden change of weather puts the birds migrating south, especially in the autumn, at risk. Accustomed to migrating in hot weather, the birds succumb to a sudden encounter with cold weather.

It is stated that birds migrating from the U.S. state of California come to ponds and marshes to rest, but the wetlands that dried up because of the ecological crisis push migratory birds to change their routes. Which also causes new plant species to emerge in the areas they go to.

Similarly, the number of migratory birds from Europe to Türkiye continues to decrease because of the increasing influence of climate change.

Longest migration

The Arctic tern is a water-loving bird that hatches during the summer in the Arctic Circle, the northernmost part of the Northern Hemisphere. During the unbearably cold, dark arctic winter, the arctic tern flies south, following summer all the way to the Antarctic Circle on the other side of the Earth.

Since Arctic terns do not fly in a straight line, the distance they fly every year is even longer than the approximately 30,000 kilometers (18,641 miles) from Arctic Circle to Antarctic Circle. This makes the Arctic tern’s migration one of the longest of any animal on Earth.

Migratory birds benefit ecosystems by helping to control pests, pollinating plants and serving as food for other wildlife. The more land managers know about the current migration patterns of these birds – and the migration patterns that are likely to develop in the future due to climate change – the better they can direct their efforts to protect the birds and to restore and conserve their habitats.