As the tide retreats, a coastal mudflat becomes a feeding ground. Sandpipers probe the sediment, gathering energy for journeys that connect Southeast Asia with distant breeding grounds. Their arrival brings a seasonal spectacle—and a reminder that migration depends on having somewhere safe to land.
World Migratory Bird Day returns on October 10, following its May 9 observance. Its 2026 theme, “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, highlights how community observations can strengthen conservation across international borders.
Protecting the Places Between Destinations
The East Asian–Australasian Flyway connects northern breeding grounds with wetlands across Southeast Asia and onward to Australia and New Zealand. For travelling waterbirds, coastal feeding grounds provide worms, molluscs and other food needed to replenish energy. Some birds continue south; others spend the northern winter within the region.
Singapore’s Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve makes that connection visible within an urban nation. NParks identifies September to March as its migratory season, while more than 200 bird species, including residents and visitors, have been recorded at the reserve. Its tidal ponds and observation hides bring people close to migration without requiring entry into sensitive feeding areas.
Yet protecting individual reserves cannot secure an entire journey. Birds depend on a network of suitable places, including less celebrated coastlines that may receive little public attention.
“Many of these sites are today immediately imperilled by development,” warned Singaporean conservation biologist Yong Ding Li, then BirdLife International’s regional coordinator for migratory species conservation, in a 2021 assessment of Southeast Asian wetlands.
Finding Conservation in Working Landscapes
Malaysia’s northern mainland Penang coast illustrates the ecological value of places that can appear ordinary from the roadside. In the same assessment, Malaysian Nature Society conservation manager Yeap Chin Aik described the area as “exceptionally important to shorebirds, including the Spotted Greenshank”. Researchers identified coastal development and reclamation as major pressures on the region’s habitats.
Thailand’s Pak Thale offers a practical response. The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand has worked to conserve traditional salt pans that provide feeding and resting habitat for threatened shorebirds, including the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper. Its approach brings habitat management together with local participation and livelihoods.
Such examples broaden the conservation picture. A working coastal landscape can support birds when its management respects their needs. Protecting migration therefore requires cooperation with the people who earn their living beside these wetlands.
Turning Sightings into Useful Evidence
The 2026 campaign gives birdwatchers a clear role: observe carefully and contribute reliable records.
This year marks the 60th International Waterbird Census and the 40th Asian Waterbird Census. The distinction is important: the Asian programme began in 1987, building its own long-running record within the global effort. Coordinated counts help researchers monitor populations and identify important wetlands.
In Indonesia, Wetlands International coordinates voluntary waterbird monitoring during January. October’s observance can introduce newcomers to local bird groups and the skills needed for those surveys.
Digital tools also help. Merlin supports identification, while submitting sightings through eBird contributes checklists to its public observation system. A private Merlin life list does not automatically provide the same contribution. Accurate identification and careful reporting give observations their scientific value.
Connecting Evidence with Investment
Monitoring needs to lead to habitat protection. The Asian Development Bank’s Regional Flyway Initiative, launched with BirdLife International and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership in 2021, aims to mobilise US$3 billion over ten years. Approximately 150 priority wetland sites have been identified across 11 developing member countries. These are investment ambitions and identified sites, rather than proof that every wetland is already protected.
This October, a recorded sighting can contribute to something larger than a personal bird list. When observations inform planning, funding and community stewardship, Southeast Asia can help ensure that returning birds still find food, shelter and safe landings.
