By Kaweesa Hope Mulangira
Urgent Climate Action Africa has observed world migratory bird day with community sensitization, wetland cleaning, and tree planting at Makanaga ramsa site to promote bird conservation.
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Urgent Climate Action Africa (UCAA), Uganda’s renowned environment organization for birds and Wetland conservation has observed World Migratory Bird Day, celebrated today by holding community sensitization, wetland cleaning, and tree planting at Ssanya Landing site under Makanaga Ramsa site in Kammengo, Mpigi district in central Uganda.
“Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day campaign. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a global campaign that emphasizes the importance of migratory bird conservation and habitat preservation.
Residents have been sensitized to the importance of conserving birds, and the harm of excessive artificial lighting or light pollution to migratory birds, especially during the night.
According to Birders, light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term light pollution refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day or night.
Makanaga Wetland is one of Uganda’s best bird-watching sites and has a number of migratory birds including; Whiskered Tern (normally migrating from Greece), White-backed night heron, Pigmy goose, and Black-headed Tern among others.
The Co-founder of Urgent Climate Action Africa (UCAA) Mr. Mugonza Andrew, said that normally many migrating birds are affected by light pollution causing disorientation and Collins with fatal consequences.
“Excessive artificial lighting causes disorientation to migratory birds and at times are eaten by wild and domestic animals like dogs and cats,” says Mr. Mugonza.
“It’s our role to protect all migratory birds on their migratory routs. Dim lights for birds at night,” he added.
Together with the Community, they have also engaged in wetland cleaning where they have collected bags of plastic bottles at the landing site.
Mis Nakigozi Ritah, an environmentalist working with UCAA told Whisper Eye News that, plastic pollution is also a major challenge to bird conservation.
“Many plastic bottles contain harmful chemicals like pesticide and herbicide bottles. At times birds drink from these bottles in search of food and end up dying. We should stop throwing plastics anywhere,” Mrs. Nakigozi said.
They have also planted trees that support bird conservation as birds collect food from these trees and many build their nests in these trees.
At least 4,000 species of bird are regular migrants. That’s about 40 percent of the world’s total. But some parts of the world have a higher proportion of migrants than others.
In far northern regions, such as Canada or Scandinavia, most species migrate south to escape winter, and there is a need to conserve these birds.
Migratory birds across the world include; Bar-tailed Godwit, Whooping Crane, Calliope Hummingbird, Orange-bellied Parrot, Eurasian Wryneck, Northern Harrier, Sooty Shearwater, Northern Wheatear, Baer’s Pochard, Snowy Owl, Arctic Tern, Whiskered Tern, Back terns, Swallows, Raptors, Passerines, Flamingos, Waders, and Storks.
