Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Al Ain Zoo celebrates World Migratory Bird Day, observed on the second weekend of May each year, as part of its efforts to preserve biodiversity and ecology. 113 wild birds were spotted at the Zoo, including resident and, migrant birds according to research conducted by the Zoo in 2022.

Highlights of the Zoo’s efforts in this area include the Migratory Bird Study Project, which began in 1989 and was completed in 2017. The project monitored the traffic of birds who flock to water bodies and other places at the Zoo to identify the species and their numbers, as well as to spread awareness of their importance in wildlife and biodiversity.

The movement of migratory birds is periodically and continuously studied by a competent team of researchers who observe which of the species flock to the Zoo the most during migration season, which is from October to March.

According to the findings of the studies over the past year, five new species of migratory birds were spotted at the Zoo, namely the Calidris, Bonelli’s Eagle, European Nightjar, Eurasian Spoonbill, and the Common Whitethroat.

The Zoo provides various forms of natural habitats for animals and birds such as ponds and manmade lakes within the Al Ain Safari, which have contributed to attracting different species of water birds that have not been observed in the area in previous studies.

WAM