Migration is part of the daily pulse of the planet. Yet, across the globe, nearly half of the world’s migratory species - from the depths of the ocean to the sky - are declining in population.
That is the finding in a recent UN report - its first-ever on migratory species. And anecdotes from the field support it. Fewer shorebirds, for instance, are currently seen in Singapore.
As human activity alters entire landscapes, experts say the declines are warning signs of problems along the Southeast Asian flyway - where millions of birds of nearly 400 species make it one of the world’s great north-south flyways.
Flying south every year when its breeding grounds in Siberia and northern China freeze over, the marsh sandpiper used to be seen in hundreds in Singapore in the 1990s. But by 2020, the sight of this small, slender shorebird with its long legs and needle-like bill and dapper colouring had plummeted to just a few dozen.
Singapore has also seen the decline of the Pacific golden plover and the common greenshank - plus declines in some species that were thought to be doing fairly okay, Singapore-based regional coordinator of Birdlife International Yong Ding Li told me on ST’s latest Green Pulse podcast.
GENUINE DECLINES
The numbers are backed by statistical models and the declines are genuine, he said. “These are very concerning and they also reflect... ecological changes operating at a very large scale.”
“Declines here may be also a sign of other pressures going on in other parts of Southeast Asia, or parts of East Asia.”
Broadly, across the flyway in Southeast Asia the birds face disruptions in the food chain triggered by loss and conversion of field, forest and coastal habitat.
Changing agricultural practices using pesticide and herbicide have diminished the insects that many farm and forest birds feed on. Indiscriminate use of easily procured nets to protect crops and ponds, end up entangling and killing birds.
Another threat, especially in Southeast Asia, is birds being hunted for food and the pet bird trade.
Rapid expansion of infrastructure for renewable energy across and around the region is another hazard for birds.
BRIGHT SPOTS
There are some bright spots. Vietnamese officials take seriously the damage wrought by hunting, Dr Yong said.
“I’m in touch with the Vietnamese government and... they know about the scale of the hunting,” he said. “There has been some really positive change going on in Vietnam.”
Regional representative of the Wetland Trust and associate professor at the Department of Biology at Mahidol University in Thailand, Philip Round, told Green Pulse that Thailand has many environmental problems, but was doing what it could for coastal environments.
“Thailand has not reclaimed any significant areas of mudflat,” he said. “There’s generally good environmental awareness and there are many small-scale inshore fishing communities that recognise the importance of habitats. And so, the birds are doing quite well when it comes to the inner Gulf of Thailand.”
“Forty years ago when I first came to Thailand, I thought so much would be gone,” said Professor Round.
“In 20 or 30 years, I would say Thailand is in fact a leader in Southeast Asia … when it comes to advancing conservation.”
“Something like 30 percent of the country is forest area - protected, regenerating or mature original forest,” he said. “And, populations of many species have actually recovered in these protected areas.”
---
Listen to related podcasts on birds:
A visit to Sungei Buloh: How Singapore can better host migratory birds: https://str.sg/BrqS
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Lynda Hong, Fa’izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read ST’s Climate Change microsite: https://www.straitstimes.com/climate-change
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore’s War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times’ app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
---
