• Celebrating 2022 World Migratory Bird Day in Kuala Simbur Village, Jambi Province, Indonesia

    Wildlife Observer Community (WOC) based in Indonesia was founded in 2017. Since then, WOC has been working on data collection, observation, research and conservation. In order to motivate and raise awareness amongst people and local community, WOC has been organizing awareness campaigns in Sumatra. Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was one of the campaigns. Promotion of WMBD to local students ©️ WOC Under WOC regular conservation activity programme this year, the organization successfully organized two WMBD events in Kuala Simbur Village, Muara Sabak Timur, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi Province, Indonesia between 16 and 18 May 2022: field visit and birdwatching, and public awareness. Bird watching activity ©️ WOC A Field visit and Birdwatching was carried out in the Kuala Simbur Village, Muara Sabak Timur, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi Province, Indonesia as a place to observe migratory waterbirds for the first time. During the activity, the team did not find any large flocks of migratory waterbirds but found permanent migratory birds and some resident waterbirds. This can still be used as education for participants who took part in this activity by seeing the real conditions of migratory bird habitat in Kuala Simbur Village, Muara Sabak Timur, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi Province, Indonesia. The participants were very enthusiastic in participating in this activity. ©️ WOC WOC also organized an awareness-raising campaign among the local people and  students close to the habitat of migratory birds. On 17 – 18 May, the project team conducted an awareness-raising campaign in SD Negeri 22/X Kuala Simbur,  Madrasah Aliyah Bustanul Ulum, for local people. The goal of this activity was to provide knowledge on migratory birds and their migration to local people and children near the site. Village kids doing bird watching ©️ WOC The project team also met the Head of Kuala Simbur Village and he was very enthusiastic about this event because they provide knowledge to the surrounding community about migratory birds where the presence of migratory birds must be maintained by maintaining their habitat and dimming the lights.


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  • 2022 World Migratory Bird Day Celebration in West, South and Eastern Mongolia

    The celebration of World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2022 in Mongolia by Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (WSCC) in West, South and Eastern Mongolia was a success. WSCC, Mongolia has been celebrated WMBD since 2010s by small grants or organization’s own funds every year with various public awareness activities following each year’s WMBD theme and slogan. Demo talk how to use opticals, Southern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia The celebration was organized between 12 – 20 May in Western, Eastern and Southern Mongolia, supported by EAAFP WMBD small grant and cooperation with WWF Mongolia, Oyu Tolgoi LLC, and high schools of every soum (area of pastureland) in the vicinity. All three sites were very special places for migratory birds and thus, it is very important to involve local kids and teachers to explain the bird species around the home. Students bird watching, Western Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Demonstration talk of how, why we ring birds, Western Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Over 910 participants have been reached out through this event to share about bird research and migratory birds’ conservation, especially how to deal with light pollution to protect migratory birds and other animals. Many of the school students joined this kind of activities for the first time to learn  about WMBD, and they would keep this memory of the event  in their hearts. Releasing Siberian Rubythroat, Eastern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Two competitions, birdwatching competition and bird drawing competition, were very attractive to all kids, and they enjoyed learning about birds and bird migration through these two competitions. Most importantly, the two ringing stations also tremendously aided in the learning - on bird study and conservation - for all attendees and their knowledge have greatly strengthened for their future, proven by the fact that several students have been started volunteering as an assistant ringer position when they have free time afterschool. Children heading out for the bird ringing activity, Eastern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Drawing competition in progress at the Khurkh BRS, Eastern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Information leaflets were distributed among all participants in E and Western Mongolia. A total 12 winners of two competitions were rewarded with education materials such bird guidebook and wildlife conservation related books and painting materials. Presentations in Western Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia In the Western Mongolian activities were supported by WWF Mongolia, and they helped us with arranging education materials and rewards for the contest winners. Mongolian Bird Watching club members celebrated Global Big Day on 14 May as well, Team Mongolia observed 254 species in 24 hours, and was one of the biggest successes among the team members. They are very proud of their bird’s species diversity and were encouraged by our results which was 4th place in the Asia and 16th place in the world team rank. Many young members of the Team Mongolia were motivated for bird watching and delighted by our team efforts for Global Big Day. Students birdwatching, Southern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Team recording what they saw, Southern Mongolia ©️ Wildlife Science and Conservation Center - Mongolia Article prepared by Mongolia by Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (WSCC).


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  • Ganghwa Big Bird Race for 2022 World Migratory Bird Day

    From 30 April to 1 May 2022, the <Ganghwa Big Bird Race> was organized by Moolsaeal, a local NGO, on Ganghwa Island, Republic of Korea. A total of 26 teams, 110 birdwatchers from across the country (14 competitive, 12 non-competitive) spent 24 hours searching for birds in Ganghwa Island. Unlike normal birding competitions, all birds observed must be photographed and uploaded to a monitoring App called 'Getbol keepers'. With the records listed on this monitoring App, the judges score and rank them. The competition, which began with a congratulatory greeting from EAAFP Chief Executive Mr. Doug Watkins, followed by the lectures introducing Ganghwa birding places and instructions of the race. The BBR then kick-started in the heated atmosphere.   Group Photo of Participants and Organization Committee ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Families and EAAFP secretariat staff, who participated in the non-competition section, then attended a lecture by the organizer to learn about common bird species. Then they visited rice paddies and mudflats with professional birding guides for bird watching. At the end of the first day, there was a music performance to celebrate the event, followed by a sharing section in which all the teams were introduced and expressed their feeling for joining the Ganghwa BBR. Families participating in the non-competitive Birdwatching section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee EAAFP Secretariat Staff at Ganghwa BBR ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee During the BBR, teams observed a total of 581 photo records and 102 bird species for two days. The first-place team scored 75 points (69 records + 6 additional points for protected species), the second-place team scored 56 points (51 records + 5 additional points for protected species), and the third-place team scored 55 points (51 records + 4 additional points for protected species). Participants for the competitive section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Families participating in the non-competitive section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Some sharing from the participants:Mr. Rahul Teku Vaswani and his family, from India, saw a black-faced spoonbill biting a giant frog and said, “It’s so amazing. The colors and patterns made by nature are really beautiful.” Another participant said, "There were not many birds this year. Continuous monitoring is needed, whether it is due to climate change or other environmental factors. We expect more people to participate next year.” For more on Ganghwa BBR (in Korean) https://ghbbr.modoo.at/?link=cgfdi6ow Article prepared by Moolsaeal.


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  • Celebrating 2022 World Migratory Bird Day in Villages near the Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar

    Group photo of the participants to the WMBD 2022 at GoM ©️ NCS On 10 May 2022, Nature Conservation Society-Myanmar (NCS) organized the World Migratory Bird Day(WMBD) event for 2022 in Basic Education Primary School, Koe Tae Su Village, Belin Township near Gulf of Mottama(GoM) in Myanmar with financial support from EAAFP WMBD Small Grant Fund. The purpose of organizing this event was to raise awareness in local communities on how WMBD was formed and held annually all around the world, and to educate the local communities about the importance of the conservation of migratory birds and wetland ecosystems. A total of 104 participants joined the event and most of participants were school students and local communities from villages around GoM. Members of Local Conservation Groups (LCG) from Koe Te Su village have also joined the event. Presentation on WMBD and the theme, Light Pollution©️ NCS The event started with  visual presentations about the history of WMBD, annual celebrations, the theme of this year - light pollution, and migratory shorebirds, wetland conservation and Ramsar sites were presented. The “Migratory Bird” song and video clips of the six EAAFP Flyway Network Sites in Myanmar and light pollution were shown. The team presented the mangrove forest status and its conservation in Myanmar. Quiz and games were included in the event with an online platform, covering the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBS), light pollution and migratory birds. the. Questions were shown on the screen and participants were encouraged to the answer quickly. The participants whowere the first to answer  correctly won  prizes. School students aged between 5 and 10 played the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBS) finding game and kids who could find the greatest number of SBS were awarded. Kids playing the Spoon-billed Sandpiper finding game ©️ NCS Awarding participants who could answer the quiz ©️ NCS Local communities and students were more aware of the theme of WMBD for this year especially the value of the natural dark, increasing light pollution, the impacts of the light pollution on migratory birds and nocturnal animals. They also learned about the six Ramsar sites in Myanmar and their importance in their livelihoods. Participants have also observed the conservation status of the threatened species including the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper that migrate to the Gulf of Mottama and the efforts of local and international organizations working for the conservation. The audience were fascinated by such a little bird to migrate over thousands of kilometres. They were aware that the migratory birds are fully protected under Myanmar Conservation of Biodiversity and Protected areas Law.  Participants enjoyed the songs, presentations and videos, had fun during the quiz and game session. T-shirts with the 2022 WMBD global poster printed on the front were distributed to the participants as souvenirs. Participants during the Presentation on the Conservation of Migratory Birds and Wetlands ©️ Nature Conservation Society-Myanmar Article prepared by Nature Conservation Society-Myanmar (NCS).


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  • New Publication “ China Wetland Centers Manual for Planning and Practice” by Mangrove Foundation

    By 2021, China has 64 wetlands of International Importance, 20 Flyway Network Sites, 602 Wetland Nature Reserves, 899…


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  • YSFAC X EAAFP PROJECT 2022 Bird Meets Arts 4th Education Program

    On 25th June, the fourth public event of the education program of 2022 <Bird Meets Arts> proceeded successfully. The composer and Gayageum (Korean harp) instructor Ms. Kyungso Park led the…


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  • Australia’s Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

    At the national level in Australia, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides for the development and…


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  • “Year of the Terns” World Seabird Day Webinar Series

    “Year of the Terns” World Seabird Day Webinar Series Brief Introduction To raise awareness among EAAFP Partners, researchers, conservationists, and the general public about seabirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAA Flyway), while promoting the exchange of information and collaboration on seabird conservation in the Flyway, the EAAFP Secretariat and the Seabird Working Group initiated the “Year of the Terns” in 2022. The World Seabird Day Webinar Series is one of the campaign activities for “Year of the Terns.” With the aim of showcasing and raising awareness for seabird conservation work along the EAA Flyway, the webinar series consist of two sessions, to launch the Asia Seabird Colony Registry, as well as showcasing work on tern species and their conservation. Date/Time: 1 – 2 July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST on both dates) Topics: Session 1 (1 July): Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry Session 2 (2 July): Showcase of tern conservation projects in EAA Flyway Organizers: EAAFP Secretariat, EAAFP Seabird Working Group, Australasian Seabird Group, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Meeting Platform: Zoom Language: English Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c   (https://cutt.ly/LJKpiLt) Overall Programme  Day Programme Speakers Day 1 Welcoming Speech Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of EAAFP Secretariat  Robert Kaler, Chair of EAAFP Seabird Working Group   Presentation on Year of the Terns Vivian Fu, EAAFP Communication Officer  Introduction of World Seabird Registry Robert Kaler, Chair of EAAFP Seabird Working Group  Presentation on the launch of the Seabird Breeding Registry in EAAF Simba Chan, Seabird Working Group  Panel Discussion Moderated by Yat Tung Yu, Coordinator of EAAFP Seabird Working Group   Panelists:   Simba Chan,   Angelique Songco, Site Manager of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines,   Miran Kim, Seabirds Laboratory of Korea, Republic of Korea  Nicholas Carlile, Australasian Seabird Group   Day 2 Welcoming Speech Yat-tung Yu, Coordinator of EAAFP Seabird Working Group Primer screening of “Terns Operation” about Chinese Crested Tern, by Fung Hong Shing    1.      Presentation on Aleutian Tern Robert Kaler, EAAFP Seabird Working Group Chair 2.      Presentation on Little Tern Professor Wataru Kitamura, Tokyo City University 3.      Presentation on Chinese Crested Tern Siyu Wang, Zhejiang Natural History Museum 4.      Presentation on Terns breeding in Hong Kong John Chung, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society 5.      Presentation on River Tern Zheng Xi, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden – Hong Kong 6.      Presentation on Black Noddy Retch Pagliawan-Alaba, Research Officer, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park 7.      Presentation on White Tern Nicholas Carlile, Australasian Seabird Group Q&A Moderated by Yuna Kim, Australasian Seabird Group Webinar Speakers and Moderators: Day 1 “Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry”  Date: 1st  July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST) Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c  Key speaker Simba Chan Seabird Working Group Panelists Angelique Songco Site Manager, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, the Philippines Angelique Songco has more than 20 years of experience as a site manager of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and Flyway Network Site. Referred to as “Mama Ranger,” Angelique is also a member of the EAAFP Seabird Working group and works on the frontier in safeguarding important sites. Miran Kim Seabirds Laboratory of Korea Miran Kim is working in the Seabirds Lab of Korea. During her PhD, she studied egg morphology and hatching asynchrony in gulls. She has worked for the conservation of Swinhoe’s storm petrels and long-term monitoring of Black-tailed gulls. Recently, she is investigating the impacts of marine debris and bycatch on seabirds. Nicholas Carlile Australasian Seabird Group Nicholas commenced ecological research with the Australian Museum 1986 and since 1988 with the NSW States government. His work includes island biodiversity restorations and surveys, research into seabirds and their translocation. While focusing mainly on petrels, he has researched Little, Sooty and White terns as well as Boobies and Tropicbirds. Moderators Vivian Fu Communication Officer, EAAFP Secretariat Yat Tung Yu Director, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Coordinator, Seabird Working Group   Day 2: “Showcase of Tern Conservation Projects in the EAA Flyway “   Date: 2nd  July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST) Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c  Speakers Robert Kaler Chair, Seabird Working Group Robb Kaler is a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska, USA. Robb serves as chair of the EAAFP Seabird Working Group is interested in developing collaborations towards broad conservation goals that inform management decisions and promote seabird conservation. Professor Wataru Kitamura Associate Professor, Tokyo City University Wataru Kitamura Ph.D. is an associate professor at Tokyo City University and the president of NPO Little Tern Project aiming for conservation of the Little Terns on a rooftop in Tokyo. His main research area is conservation biology of avian species such as giving solutions for bird collisions to wind turbines and interaction between alien and native species. Siyu Wang Research Associate, Zhejiang Museum of Natural History Siyu Wang, research associate of Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, now mainly working on Chinese Crested Tern and Scarly-sided Merganser conservation. Since 2014, I participates in the Chinese Crested Tern Project as a team member. Except from research work, I'm also responsible for Science Popularization of Chinese Crested Tern and other birds. John Chung Hong Kong Bird Watching Society After graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with an MPhil degree, John Chung devotes himself to bird research and conservation. He is currently a research officer in the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. He is responsible for coordinating bird ringing, tern study, and citizen science programs in Hong Kong. Zheng Xi Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden - Hong Kong Zheng Xi is a Conservation Officer of Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden. He has been actively involved in several key conservation projects to minimize biodiversity loss in China and Cambodia, including the conservation of River Tern and Hornbills in western Yunnan of China. Retch Pagliawan-Alaba Research Officer, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Retch is the Research Officer of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Philippines. She began working on seabirds in 2013 as part of her MSc studies. One of their seabird conservation projects is the restoration of the Black Noddy population in TRNP. Nicholas Carlile Australasian Seabird Group Nicholas commenced ecological research with the Australian Museum 1986 and since 1988 with the NSW States government. His work includes island biodiversity restorations and surveys, research into seabirds and their translocation. While focusing mainly on petrels, he has researched Little, Sooty and White terns as well as Boobies and Tropicbirds. Moderators: Yat Tung Yu Director, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Coordinator, Seabird Working Group Yuna Kim Australasian Seabird Group   Supporting Organizations   Playback of the Webinar  Day 1 Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry Day 2 Showcase of conservation work of terns EAAF Contact If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact Mr. Yat-tung Yu, Coordinator of the Seabird Working Group at yyattung@hkbws.org.hk; or Ms. Vivian Fu, Communication Officer of  EAAFP at communication@eaaflyway.net.


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