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UAE -A hub for migratory birds |
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Dubai?s strategic location has helped the emirate forge one of the busiest airports in the world, an international crossroads through which millions of passengers migrate to far-flung locales across the globe. But before giant jet-powered birds streaked trails across the blue yonder, Dubai and the UAE were already an international hub, of sorts, for millions of birds migrating north and south in the annual autumn and summer seasons. Down through time, the UAE has long been a preferred rest stop for exotic avian world travellers given the country?s rich marine food sources, mudflats, lagoons and sabkha (mud flats) sanctuaries. Coastal shallows, inland waterways, mangroves and salt marshes are critical layovers for birds fleeing icy snowbound regions of the Asian and Siberian Arctic on their quest to seek warmer climes in Africa. An estimated three million birds call upon the UAE?s 83,600 square kilometres annually through four aerial flight corridors which form part of what?s called the Palaearctic-Asian Flyway. To pay homage to one of the greatest natural marvels in the world, wildlife experts, ornithologists and amateur birdwatchers in the UAE fan out to important bird areas across the country on May 10 to observe World Migratory Bird Day. The event is held every year to boost awareness of migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year?s theme is ?Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds?. Extensive conservation measures to protect one of Dubai?s most well-known bird areas, Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, is a good example of responsible environmental stewardship by UAE government officials committed to helping migrating flocks. Over the years, covered public viewing areas known as blinds or hides have been constructed in the Ras Al Khor watershed to witness with minimal interference migrating birds in the thousands such as the Greater Flamingo, the elegant pink birds which blanket the creekside marsh as part of their many hops every year. The sanctuary is protected and is recognised as one of 19 ?important bird areas? in the UAE under the Ramsar Convention, signed by the UAE in 2007, a global intergovernmental treaty. One of the best places and most easily accessible places of the UAE is the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. During autumn and spring passage migration time, it is not unlikely to see nearly 10,000 waders roosting here. The Abu Dhabi coast and some islands supports over 100,000 birds at a time during summer migration. The flamingoes are only a few of the wild passengers taking a rest in Dubai. Birds that pass through the UAE in the thousands include almost all species of small and big-sized waders such as plovers, stints, snipes, sandpipers, godwits, curlews, whimbrels, turnstones, ruffs, all species of gulls barring the Sooty Gull that is partly resident and mostly migratory, ducks, teals, Great Cormorant and terns. Despite coastal development throughout the Gulf, UAE?s protection measures combined with awareness measures such as World Migratory Bird Day are helping to offset myriad threats to flocks ranging from water pollution, habitat loss, power lines, hunting, and harvesting. Source The Gulf News
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5 Comments
Hey Harmanjot! thanks for the report! how did you know the topic would be diversity? :D somehow it's wonderfully intertwined with this month's topic. Great to hear that the government is pouring much effort to protect diversity! Seeing from all that different species going to the region, i bet it will return good benefit for the environment. Thanks for delivering the news!
Posted 17-05-2016 10:20
This is very thoughtful of UAE to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with great fervor. Thanks for sharing, Harmanjot.
Posted 15-05-2016 20:03
Harmanjot, I have never known a lot of birds cross or stop at UAE during migration. Since Dubai is also a place for a number of airplanes, it may also be necessary for protecting birds from crashing with them. I hope the event can make a lot of citizens acknowledge the ecolocal importance of migratory birds and come up wtih wise solutions. Thanks for informing us and have a great day!
Posted 15-05-2016 15:21
Not only in Dubai but also in Sharjah (another emirate of UAE), WMD was celebrated by The Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) who organised a special ceremony at Wasit Wetland Centre to mark World Migratory Bird Day 2016. Such celebrations are really commendable and aim to raise awareness about the importance of migratory bird conservation and to educate the public on the importance of birds on their local ecosystems. Such awareness programmes also teach us how to protect these beautiful creatures from the daily threats they are vulnerable to - both inside and outside their natural habitat.
Thanks for the report Harmanjot.
Posted 15-05-2016 03:04
This is encouraging to know that UAE celebrated World Migratory Bird Day with the theme of theme is 'Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds'. These sort of celebrations certainly help in raising awareness about ecological importance of migratory birds. Thank you for sharing dear Harmanjot :)
Posted 14-05-2016 14:37