Bird migration and the conservation of the global environment

Abstract

I have collaborated with Asian and American scientists on satellite-tracking the migration of birds in East Asia for nearly 20 years. We have tracked the migration of about 20 bird species, including cranes, storks, swans and hawks. We have used the results in a variety of applications, from showing migration routes and the relative importance of each staging site to more advanced analyses including using various data overlays to examine habitat use and the connectivity and network structure of migration pathways. We have also studied the effects of climate change on population trends of swans satellite-tracked from their wintering areas in Japan to their breeding ground in Russia. Satellite-tracking is a powerful research tool to study the detailed migration routes, seasonal differences in migration pattern, locations of important sites, and the conservation issues that migratory birds encounter. Migratory birds establish a link not only among natural environments in different countries along their migration routes but also among people in different countries. Further interdisciplinary cooperation is needed to develop tracking technology, and more international collaboration is required to promote migration studies.