The global conservation community converged in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11 September 2026, for the Global Flyways Summit, an event that served as the backdrop for the release of the landmark State of the World’s Birds report. Published by BirdLife International and co-hosted by Nature Kenya, this latest edition represents a significant departure from previous iterations. For the first time in the report’s history, the analysis is dedicated exclusively to the status of migratory birds and the complex, interconnected flyways upon which their survival depends. The summit concluded with the signing of the Nairobi Flyways Declaration, a high-level commitment by governments, international NGOs, and financial institutions to harmonize conservation efforts across borders—a move backed by over $6 billion in development finance mobilized since 2021.
The State of the World’s Birds: A Statistical Alarm
The findings of the 2026 report paint a sobering portrait of global biodiversity. Data indicates that 45% of all migratory bird species are currently in decline. Perhaps the most harrowing statistic is the confirmation of the extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew, a species last officially recorded in a Moroccan lagoon in 1995. This marks the first confirmed global extinction of a bird species on the mainland of Eurasia and Africa in recent centuries.
The report identifies that one in nine migratory bird species is currently threatened with extinction. The pressure is unevenly distributed, with species dependent on marine environments, coastal wetlands, and forest ecosystems showing the most drastic population collapses. Seabirds and shorebirds, in particular, are bearing the brunt of habitat loss and environmental degradation.
The drivers of these declines are categorized as overwhelmingly anthropogenic. The primary threats identified by researchers include:
- Agricultural Intensification: The rapid conversion of grasslands and wetlands into monoculture farmland, which strips birds of essential stopover and breeding habitats.
- Invasive Alien Species: The introduction of non-native predators that devastate bird colonies, particularly on islands and sensitive coastal areas.
- Climate Change: The disruption of phenological synchronization—whereby birds arrive at breeding grounds to find their food sources have already peaked or failed due to shifts in seasonal temperatures.
- Unsustainable Extraction: Unregulated hunting, trapping, and the depletion of marine prey stocks.
A Chronology of Conservation Efforts
The urgency of the Nairobi Flyways Declaration is rooted in a decades-long struggle to coordinate action across international borders. Migratory birds, by their nature, do not adhere to geopolitical boundaries, making national conservation strategies insufficient.
- 1995: The last confirmed sighting of the Slender-billed Curlew in Morocco.
- 2021: Multilateral development banks begin a surge in financing, marking the beginning of a systematic effort to integrate biodiversity into large-scale infrastructure and regional development loans.
- June 2026: The Global Environment Facility approves the Global Flyways Grant Mechanism, providing an initial $8.97 million in direct grants to bolster wetland restoration across nine million hectares.
- September 2026: The Global Flyways Summit convenes in Nairobi, finalizing the Nairobi Flyways Declaration to move beyond site-specific protection toward a holistic, flyway-wide management strategy.
The Nairobi Flyways Declaration: A Commitment to Action
The Declaration signed in Nairobi represents an unprecedented alignment between the scientific community and the financial sector. The document acknowledges that migratory birds are "sentinels"—indicators of the health of the natural systems that humans rely on for clean water, climate regulation, and food security.
The involvement of major financial institutions is a notable shift in the conservation landscape. The Asian Development Bank has pledged to mobilize $3 billion over the next decade, focusing on 50 priority wetlands within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. These sites are not only critical for biodiversity but are also vital for the livelihoods of nearly 200 million people who rely on these ecosystems for flood protection and water filtration. Similarly, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean has committed between $3 and $5 billion through 2050 to safeguard over 30 critical landscapes and seascapes.
Scientific Perspectives on Flyway Integrity
Dr. Stuart Butchart, Chief Scientist at BirdLife International and senior editor of the report, emphasized that the crisis, while severe, is not inevitable. "Migratory birds are sentinels, and their declines reveal growing pressure on the natural systems that sustain us," Dr. Butchart stated during the summit. "But the science is equally clear: conservation works, with co-ordinated action preventing extinctions and helping populations recover. The solutions exist: what is needed now is their implementation at flyway scale."
The report highlights the "Egyptian Vulture" as a case study for success. Through multi-country collaboration—coordinating protection along the entire migratory route rather than at individual nesting sites—the Balkan breeding population of the vulture has successfully halted its decline, proving that targeted international policy can yield measurable biological results.
Institutional Responses and Stakeholder Engagement
The summit brought together diverse perspectives, from global financial leaders to local environmental stewards. Dr. Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya, spoke to the necessity of including Global South perspectives in the conservation narrative. "The birds that breed in Europe, Asia, and the Arctic depend on our wetlands, grasslands, and forests," Dr. Matiku noted. "The Nairobi Declaration and finance commitments recognize that African nations are not just stakeholders: we are stewards of solutions."
Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Honorary President of BirdLife International, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the symbolic importance of the summit. "Migratory birds do not recognize borders," she remarked. "They connect Asia to Africa, the Arctic to the tropics. The Nairobi Flyways Declaration acknowledges this reality—that it needs international cooperation and coordination to keep migratory birds safe."
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
The shift toward "flyway-scale" conservation represents a fundamental change in how international environmental law and funding are applied. Historically, conservation projects were fragmented, focusing on small, isolated protected areas. The current approach, championed by the BirdLife Partnership—which represents 125 organizations in 120 countries—views a flyway as an interconnected network. If one segment of this network, such as a crucial coastal stopover point, is destroyed, the entire migratory chain is placed at risk of failure.
The implications for global development are significant. By integrating flyway protection into the lending frameworks of major development banks, the conservation of migratory species is no longer viewed as a peripheral "green" interest, but as an essential component of sustainable economic infrastructure. The restoration of wetlands, for instance, provides natural flood defenses and carbon sequestration services that are economically valuable to the surrounding human populations.
Martin Harper, Chief Executive of BirdLife International, closed the summit with a call to action for the private sector and civil society. "The State of the World’s Birds report is unambiguous: we are losing migratory birds at an alarming rate," Harper said. "But today’s Nairobi Declaration signals a turning point. We need everyone to step up and play their part. That means governments, business, and civil society. Development banks are rising to the challenge. The BirdLife Partnership is prepared to act. We now need others to step up to reverse the declines and save the wonder of migration."
The success of these initiatives will be measured by the recovery of species populations and the stabilization of critical habitats over the coming decade. As the world moves into the next phase of the Global Flyways Programme, the focus remains on transforming the ambitious commitments of the Nairobi Declaration into tangible improvements in the field. The loss of the Slender-billed Curlew serves as a grim reminder of the cost of inaction, yet the mobilization of billions in funding and the unification of global stakeholders offer a viable, if narrow, pathway to preventing further extinctions. The next four years, leading up to the next major review, will be the proving ground for this new, integrated approach to planetary stewardship.
