Conservationists seek end to killing of migratory birds

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has urged Nigerians and communities where migratory birds are found to stop indiscriminate habitat destruction.

The group stated that birds are bio-indicators of the environment and if they are not allowed in the ecosystem, the environment tends to loose since such birds contribute to human survival.

The Technical Director, NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja who alluded to the importance of birds in the environment during the 2019 Spring Alive Campaign for migratory birds which held at the Alpha Beach and Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos, said migratory birds are good pollinators, seed dispersals and belong to the clean up crew for the environment like the vulture.

He said, “A healthy environment should always have birds there. Migratory birds have three pillars, which include, conserving them at their breeding ground in Europe, at the breeding ground in Africa and sub-Sahara Africa and in flyways, which are their roots. Depending on the uniqueness of the birds, they have different habitat requirements.” Some of them like wooded areas, mold flats along the coastlines.

“If their habitats were destroyed, when they come from Europe, they wouldn’t have the fitness to go back to their breeding ground to recreate. Habitat destruction and poaching have two major effects on migratory birds.”

The theme of this year programme, “Bird collisions with windows and glass” is to encourage people to take conservation action for birds, nature and the environment as a top priority. Spring Alive Campaign was also an initiative to help African children, their families, friends, and teachers, to take action for birds and nature.

In her contributions, NCF Head, Environmental Education, Mrs. Abidemi Balogun, highlighted the six migratory birds that the campaign focuses on as, white stork; sand martin; common swift; barn swallow; eurasian bee-eater and common cuckoo.

She said, ”Out of the six migratory birds the campaign centres on, only two could be found in Nigeria, which is Barn Swallow and Common Cuckoo.”