Global assessment warns half of migratory birds are declining, 1 in 9 face extinction

BirdLife International’s State of the World’s Birds 2026 report shows that 45% of the 1,843 migratory bird species examined are experiencing population drops, with only 14% on the rise. The assessment identifies 200 species, or 11%, as threatened with extinction, including 32 critically endangered, 57 endangered and 111 vulnerable birds. Declines are most acute among shorebirds and seabirds dependent on marine and coastal wetlands, with over half of species in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway decreasing.

Regional data indicate a 35% loss of Europe-Africa migrants since 1980 and a net loss of about 2.5 billion birds in North America between 1970 and 2017. Human activities—especially habitat alteration, hunting, invasive species, and climate change—are cited as the primary drivers. The report urges stronger international cooperation to protect key habitats, curb illegal killing, and mitigate threats across entire migration routes, a call echoed at the Nairobi Global Flyways Summit where $6 billion in financing was pledged.