The birth of a commemorative day for shorebirds

Magellanic Plover is one of the most unique shorebirds with those bubble gum pink legs and striking red eyes. Tierra del Fuego, Chile. © Gyorgy Szimuly

Earlier this month I sent out a proposal to about a hundred people worldwide, who are somehow related to shorebirds, either as researchers or conservationists. It was about setting a commemorative day for shorebirds. This special day is named as World Shorebirds Day and the 6th of September was selected.

The World Shorebirds Day doesn’t only reflect my addiction to shorebirds, but it’s much more than that. There is no a better time to set the bar to the next level, in raising the global public awareness of the need for the protection of shorebirds, than today. Nearly half of the world’s known shorebird populations are in decline, and the rate of habitat loss is worse than ever before.

Healthy populations of shorebirds mean healthy wetlands, what thousands of human lives depend on. Actions on a global level need to be organized to get people connected with shorebirds, their spectacular life and their habitats. To celebrate shorebirds, a series of events will be organized by different organizations, as well as individuals around the world on Saturday on the 6th of September 2014.

This blog is dedicated to this global public awareness project, where even the tiniest event will be reported.