Highlight Activities 2021:The state of migratory landbirds in the East Asian Flyway: distributions, threats, and conservation needs.

Abstract: The East Asian Flyway is the most diverse of the world’s avian flyways, supporting almost 400 species of landbirds alone. This diversity is a consequence of the varied ecological niches offered by diverse biomes, ranging from broadleaf forests to arctic tundra, accentuated by complex biogeographic processes. Increased electronic tracking and other studies have increased our knowledge on the ecology of landbird migrants and their flyway routes linking northeast Eurasia with the Asian tropics. Population declines have been detected in many long-distance migrants. Threats include unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and agricultural intensification, exacerbated by climate-change. Conservation recommendations are made for migratory landbirds.

Figure 3. Six major biomes in northeast Asia form the breeding range of most migratory landbirds in the EAF

Ding Li Yong, Wieland Heim, Sayam U. Chowdhury, Chang-Yong Choi, Pavel Ktitorov, Olga Kulikova, Alexander Kondratyev, Philip D. Round, Desmond Allen, Colin R. Trainor, Luke Gibson & Judit K. Szabo. 2021.  Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 13 April 2021 https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.613172