Migratory birds continue to be threatened on their routes due to climate change and pesticide management

They travel thousands of kilometers and maintain the food chain in ecosystems. These are some of the characteristics of migratory birds, which are being threatened by different factors such as climate change, hunting and the destruction of their habitats.

These species are commemorated every October 8 on World Migratory Bird Daybut beyond a date it is a segment of nature that requires greater awareness to avoid further damage.

Ana Agreda De la Paz, coordinator of the Conservation of Priority Sites for Migratory Waterfowl program in Ecuador, highlights the need for inter-institutional coordination and more environmental education.

“Owls are not sorcerers”: at least three species of birds of prey are in danger of extinction in Ecuador

“Migratory bird species are being affected by many threats, among the most important are climate change, habitat destruction, pollution and reduction in the quality of their wintering habitats, large engineering works that impact watersheds hydrographic impacts that affect the landscape and downstream wetlands. Invasive species and diseases such as bird flu can affect thousands of migratory birds”, says Agreda.

Tatiana Santander, coordinator of Bird and Conservation Projects/BirdLife in Ecuadorpoints out that both in North America and in wintering sites in South America, the essential factor contributing to the decline of migratory bird populations is habitat degradation.

So too, competition with exotic species, use of pesticides for control such as agricultural pests, and increased rates of predation and parasitism caused by feral animals.

Feces in the water recharge area, soil erosion and contamination, among the affectations detected in the Bolívar páramos

“Climate change affects migratory birds mainly because the sites they depend on are at risk of changing and disappearing due to rising temperatures, flooding or desertification. For example, sea level rise would cause inundation of coastal sites used by birds for nesting, resting, and feeding.says Santander.

He adds that changes in the climate have an impact on the availability of food and that some species do not migrate. “Increased temperatures can cause plants to flower earlier and insects to hatch early. This causes a mismatch. When the birds reproduce, they may not have enough food for their young,” explains Santander.

In Ecuador, according to data from BirdLife International, there are 269 ​​migratory birds. Meanwhile, Bioweb.bio publishes that they are 220 species that visit the country on a regular, occasional and even accidental basis.

Of these 220 migrant species, at least 125 are regular visitors, that is, they come every year to escape the winter in their nesting areas.

Some are only in transit to their winter territories further south or north of Ecuador, while others reside in the country during this winter period.

Among these birds are raptors, which are also migratory, says Erick Díaz, director of the Rapaz Lana Zoo.located in the Colonche parish, in the province of Santa Elena.

There are more than 70 species in a new nature reserve in Esmeraldas and some are already in danger of extinction

“On this date they begin to reproduce in Salinas and in other sectors. It is a phenomenon that occurs twice a year, in autumn and spring. They feed on seabirds such as seagulls, herons that also come in the migratory corridor. There are many birds of prey that come and nest and suffer from problems such as species trafficking, feral dogs. Another factor is the buildings against which they usually crash and end up with fractures”, mentions Díaz.

In the zoo there are migratory birds of prey with fractures that can no longer be introduced into their habitat. However, the birds of prey that manage to recover, according to Díaz, are released on the coast. “There are birds that join the mountains, but their original route is the coast,” he points out.

Among the species of birds of prey recorded in Ecuador are the wide-winged eagle (Buteo platypterus), vulture aura (Cathartes aura), Lenten eagle (Buteo swainsoni), Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) and peregrine falcon cassini (falco peregrinus). The latter is in danger of extinction. (YO)