May 11 is World Migratory Bird Day

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – May is American Wetlands month and as duck nesting season gets underway across North America, Ducks Unlimited and the rest of the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) on Saturday, May 11.

“Each year, World Migratory Bird Day focuses awareness on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the world,” Ducks Unlimited Chief Operating Officer Nick Wiley said. “The program is dedicated to conservation efforts and environmental education all over the world, including North America, where Ducks Unlimited works every day to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. DU’s conservation work benefits hundreds of species of migratory birds in addition to waterfowl, including some species whose populations are struggling, especially grassland nesting species in the Northern Great Plains like Baird’s sparrow or Sprague’s pipit.”

The conservation theme for this year’s World Migratory Bird Day is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.”

The accumulation of plastic and plastic pollution has become a threat to birds across the globe. Most plastic is not recycled, but discarded as waste, accumulating in landfills and the environment. Some birds eat plastic debris, mistaking it for food.

You can combat plastic pollution by limiting your use of plastic materials and joining clean-up activities in your area. Later in the year, picking up spent shotgun shell casings around the blind after a hunt is another way waterfowlers can help reduce plastic waste in the environment.

There are several ways to help migratory birds and support conservation. Join Ducks Unlimited or another conservation organization. Volunteer for organizations that conserve habitat and help birds. Restore natural habitat in your community and cultivate native plants that provide food, nest sites and cover for birds.

One of the best ways to support migratory birds and wetland conservation in the U.S. is to buy a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the federal duck stamp.

“There are several great reasons to buy duck stamps,” said Wiley. “A federal duck stamp is required to legally hunt migratory waterfowl in the United States. A duck stamp covers the entrance fees and provides important funding for our national wildlife refuges. And because duck stamp funding is used to directly acquire or protect habitat for hundreds of species of migratory birds, not just waterfowl, birding enthusiasts buy them to directly support this worthy cause. Whatever your reason for purchasing duck stamps, buy a couple of them each year to help waterfowl and support our sporting traditions, which is definitely in the spirit of World Migratory Bird Day.”

Visit http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/ for more information about World Migratory Bird Day.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world‘s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.