The Follow the Bird! Project aims to contribute to a better understanding of the international importance of wetlands. By following the routes and movements of migratory birds, we can better appreciate how the degradation of even one wetland might lead to the loss of migratory waterbird populations in other parts of the flyway.  The birds thus help to provide us with a strong basis for prioritizing our wetlands to improve their management for the improvement of the lives of people and biodiversity.

Follow the Bird uses birds equipped with satellite transmitters in the role of ambassadors of the flyway concept in different parts of the world. Unlike other traditional methods of studying bird migration (e.g. field observations or ringing), the combination of the satellite telemetry, remote sensing and the internet makes it possible for a wide-range of stakeholders to follow bird migration almost in real-time.

By following the international movements of a species such a Purple Heron, we can identify the chain of wetland sites along the flyway that these birds depend on through their annual international migrations - from their nesting grounds in the Netherlands to their non-breeding areas in West Africa and all the "rest and refueling sites" en route in western and southern Europe and North and West Africa. The Purple Heron is a widespread but declining breeding species across Europe and Asia and birds from different breeding populations migrate to different areas of Africa and Asia. 

The numbers and diversity of migratory waterbirds that depend on a wetland are usually a good indicator of its overall health. The usage of the site by the birds can provide basic information on the availability of fish and other prey, water quality, pollution levels, hunting pressure and other forms of human use. Studying individual wetlands selected by the birds enables us to learn about the importance of these areas for other biodiversity and for the people whose livelihoods and quality of life depend on the area.

Through such work, we also learn to appreciate how degradation or loss of one wetland along a flyway might lead to the decrease, or even loss of one or more migratory waterbird populations throughout the flyway.  For instance, the loss of a wetland in West Africa, might have consequences for waterbirds visiting other parts of Africa, Europe and the Arctic, just as the effectiveness of a chain is destroyed by the removal of a single link.

Declining numbers of waterbirds can also affect the diversity and abundance of a wide range of plant, insect, fish and other aquatic species that form part of the food chain of these waterbirds across a whole network of wetlands.  Fewer waterbirds can also impact on the people who depend on their harvest as a means of subsistence and protein.

All this helps to illustrate that the degradation or destruction of a wetland is not just a local issue but can have a much wider flyway level impact. Thus studying the routes travelled by these international ambassadors, and knowing the sites they depend on, provide us with a stronger basis for assessing our wetlands and improving their management for the betterment of the people whose lives depend on them as well as the native and migratory biodiversity.

Flyway approach

By showcasing the efforts of Wetlands International and the collaborating organisations, these projects also demonstrate the practical implementation of the flyway approach and aim to encourage others to get involved. For more information on the flyway approach, go to “About flyways” section.