World Migratory Bird Day is officially celebrated on the second Saturday of May in Canada and the US (May 11th in 2024), and the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean (October 12nd in 2024). However, every day is Bird Day, and you can celebrate birds and host events any day of the year!

Insects, the most diverse group of organisms on the planet, are crucial to the food web. They are not only the primary food source for a large majority of bird species around the world, but they also support other species of plants and animals. For birds that depend primarily on insects as their main food source, the ebb and flow of insect populations can greatly affect the timing, duration, and success of their migration. In fact, the timing of migration is highly dependent on when food resources, like insects,
will be abundant for birds to replenish their energy reserves at stopover locations in grasslands, forests, and wetlands, along their migratory journeys.
All around the globe, insect populations appear to be declining at unprecedented rates, which can directly threaten birds and their ability to migrate, breed, and produce young. This World Migratory Bird Day, our goal is to increase awareness about the importance of insects as essential energy sources for birds, and support ways to conserve both insects and birds. (USFWS)

Spoonbill

Article taken from the Pelican Island Audubon Society’s June 2024 Peligram by Bob Montanaro.