Nairobi, Kenya, September 11, 2026 – The international conservation community converged in Nairobi today for the Global Flyways Summit, an event underscored by the release of BirdLife International’s latest State of the World’s Birds report. This quadrennial publication, which for the first time focuses exclusively on the plight of migratory birds, paints a harrowing picture of avian populations worldwide. Against a backdrop of ecological crisis, the summit served as the stage for the signing of the Nairobi Flyways Declaration, a landmark agreement aimed at coordinating transboundary conservation efforts backed by unprecedented financial commitments from multilateral development banks.
The report’s data is stark: 45% of all migratory bird species are currently in decline. Perhaps the most poignant indicator of this collapse is the official 2025 declaration of extinction for the Slender-billed Curlew. Last recorded in a Moroccan lagoon in 1995, its passing marks the first instance of a bird species going extinct on the mainlands of Eurasia and Africa in recent centuries. This tragedy is not an isolated event; researchers have confirmed or identified the disappearance of six other migratory species over the last 150 years, signaling a systemic failure in environmental stewardship.
The Anatomy of a Crisis
Migratory birds act as biological sentinels, reflecting the health of the ecosystems they traverse. Their decline is not a mystery, but a direct consequence of human activity. The report identifies four primary drivers: the introduction of invasive alien species, the rapid intensification and expansion of agricultural land, the accelerating effects of climate change, and the persistent, unsustainable practices of hunting and trapping.
Species reliant on marine environments, coastal wetlands, and forest ecosystems are experiencing the most severe pressures. Seabirds and shorebirds, in particular, face a disproportionate risk of extinction. These birds depend on a chain of critical habitats—breeding grounds, stopover sites, and non-breeding areas—that span continents. Because these habitats are geographically dispersed, the destruction of a single site can effectively sever the link in a migration flyway, jeopardizing the survival of entire populations.
Chronology of Concern: A Decade of Decline
The current status of global flyways has been documented through decades of observation, but the trajectory has steepened significantly since the early 2020s.
- 2021: Multilateral development banks begin formalizing large-scale conservation finance, marking a shift toward integrating biodiversity into global lending frameworks.
- 1995–2025: A thirty-year window of silence regarding the Slender-billed Curlew leads to intensive, ultimately unsuccessful searches, culminating in the 2025 extinction ruling.
- June 2026: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) approves the Global Flyways Grant Mechanism, providing an initial $8.97 million in direct funding to bolster restoration efforts across nine million hectares of wetland.
- September 2026: The Nairobi Flyways Summit convenes, consolidating international policy and financial commitments to address the systemic collapse of migratory networks.
The Nairobi Flyways Declaration: A Coordinated Response
Recognizing that migratory birds do not acknowledge national borders, the Nairobi Flyways Declaration shifts the focus of conservation from isolated, site-specific projects to a "flyway-scale" approach. This strategy, championed by BirdLife International and its 125 partners across 120 countries, emphasizes the need for international cooperation.
"Migratory birds are sentinels, and their declines reveal growing pressure on the natural systems that sustain us," stated Dr. Stuart Butchart, Chief Scientist at BirdLife International and a senior editor of the report. "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 declaration is supported by a significant infusion of capital. Since 2021, development banks have mobilized more than $6 billion in conservation finance. The Asian Development Bank has committed $3 billion over the coming decade to protect 50 priority wetlands along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, a move expected to benefit roughly 200 million people who rely on these ecosystems for water, food, and climate resilience. Similarly, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean has pledged between $3 billion and $5 billion through 2050 to safeguard over 30 landscapes and seascapes.
Perspectives on a Global Challenge
The summit highlighted the necessity of local expertise in global initiatives. Dr. Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya, emphasized the role of African nations as "stewards of solutions." He noted that birds breeding in the Arctic, Europe, and Asia rely heavily on African wetlands, grasslands, and forests, making the continent a vital node in the global migration network.
Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Honorary President of BirdLife International, echoed this sentiment, noting the historic nature of the gathering. "Migratory birds do not recognise borders," she said. "I am excited and proud to see that the scientific community, conservation organisations, and the financial sector are uniting to make this happen. At last! We stand at an important turning point."
Analyzing the Path Forward
The shift toward flyway-scale conservation represents a fundamental change in how the global community manages natural capital. By moving away from fragmented national efforts, stakeholders are attempting to address the interconnected nature of the planet’s ecosystems.
The success of such efforts is already visible on a smaller, localized scale. Targeted, multi-country interventions have successfully halted the decline of the Egyptian Vulture’s Balkan breeding population, proving that when agricultural, fishing, and land-use practices are managed holistically across a migration route, bird populations can stabilize and recover.
However, the scale of the challenge remains immense. The $8.97 million Global Flyways Grant Mechanism, while significant for community-led action, is only a fraction of the total investment required to reverse the 45% decline in migratory species. The involvement of the World Bank and other financial institutions is crucial, as it signals that the conservation of migratory birds is being increasingly recognized not just as an environmental concern, but as an economic and security imperative. The loss of wetlands, for example, directly impacts the water security of millions of people, linking the survival of the Far Eastern Curlew or the Bar-headed Goose to the long-term viability of human communities.
Implications for the Future
The 2026 report serves as both a final warning and a blueprint for action. The inclusion of the private sector and major development banks in the Nairobi Declaration suggests that the "business as usual" model of environmental degradation is facing institutional pushback.
"The State of the World’s Birds report is unambiguous: we are losing migratory birds at an alarming rate," concluded Martin Harper, Chief Executive of BirdLife International. "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."
As the summit concludes, the focus now shifts to implementation. The coming years will determine whether the Nairobi Flyways Declaration remains a symbolic commitment or transforms into the robust, cross-border infrastructure necessary to protect the millions of birds that link our continents. For now, the global community has acknowledged the urgency of the task; the survival of the world’s migratory birds depends entirely on whether these commitments can be converted into tangible change on the ground, in the air, and across the seas.
