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Wetlands are important habitats for many migratory species listed under the Convention on Migratory Species.

In response to recent large-scale outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds. The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus, plus other subtypes including H5N8 caused multiple avian influenza outbreaks that occurred in the UK, The Netherlands, Israel, and India seriously affecting wild birds.

Throughout the past autumn and current winter in the northern hemisphere, multiple avian influenza outbreaks, caused predominantly by the H5N1 HPAI virus, plus other subtypes including H5N8, have occurred in the UK, The Netherlands, Israel, and India.

The longest-studied Flatback Turtle has returned to one of Australia's key nesting beaches. Known as X23103, this flatback was first flipper-tagged at the nesting beach "Mon Repos" (Queensland, Australia) in 1974, and has been coming back ever since, giving insights into important live-history parameters such as nesting intervals and site fidelity.

The thirteenth meeting of the CMS Conference of the Parties adopted an ambitious Programme of Work (POW) for the period 2020-2023.

Light Pollution will be the focus of the World Migratory Bird Day 2022 campaign.  Artificial light is increasing globally by at least 2 per cent per year and it is known to adversely affect many bird species. Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds, causing disorientation when they fly at night, leading to collisions with buildings, perturbing their internal clocks, or interfering with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations.  

Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, and Uzbekistan agreed on new joint conservation measures to conserve the Saiga Antelope under the United Nations’ Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). For the next five years, the international Work Programme for the Saiga Antelope will provide a new framework to conserve and sustainably use the species throughout its migratory range.

On Saturday, 9 October people all over the world will be celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. The UN-backed campaign is organized by a collaborative partnership among two environmental treaties - the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), and the non-profit organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA).

Following a week of global meetings held entirely online, the 52nd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) concluded with important outcomes to take the work forward under the Convention.  CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel said: “The 52nd Session of the Standing Committee, held online for the first time, advanced important work under the Convention. The CMS Secretariat has been able to function and deliver on its mandate by making progress in implementing the current Programme of Work.”

“Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, an annual global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year the campaign will focus on the phenomena of “bird song” and “bird flight” as a way to inspire and connect people of all ages around the world in their shared desire to celebrate migratory birds and to unite in a common, global effort to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive.