A new global assessment has revealed a worrying decline in migratory wildlife, with nearly half of the world’s migratory species now experiencing population decreases. The findings come from an interim update to the State of the World’s Migratory Species report prepared under the United Nations’ Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
According to the report, 49% of migratory species populations protected under the CMS are declining, an increase from 44% recorded just two years earlier. At the same time, around 24% of these species are now facing extinction, highlighting a worsening global biodiversity crisis.
Migratory animals—including birds, marine mammals, fish, and land mammals—play crucial ecological roles such as pollination, pest control, and maintaining food chains. However, their long-distance movements across multiple habitats make them especially vulnerable. If even one critical stopover site or breeding ground is destroyed, entire migration routes can collapse.
The report identifies several key threats driving the decline of migratory wildlife. Habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pollution, overexploitation, and barriers such as dams and infrastructure along migration routes are among the main factors affecting these species. Diseases like avian influenza are also emerging as new risks for some migratory populations.
Experts warn that the findings are a clear signal for stronger international cooperation. Because migratory species cross national borders, effective conservation requires coordinated global action to protect habitats, reduce environmental pressures, and maintain safe migration corridors. News as reported
