Impact at scale: project delivers for migratory birds

The epic journeys of migratory birds forge connections across countries and even between continents. Flying vast distances to find the best the places to breed, feed and rest, these birds depend on a network of well-connected sites along their migratory routes – also known as flyways.  

We share these birds with all the people and places they visit along their travels. That's why their protection is also a shared responsibility. From a rapidly changing climate to damaging energy infrastructure and illegal killing, migratory birds are facing serious threats. 

To help fight back, the RSPB and BirdLife International have been working with partner organisations up and down the African-Eurasian Flyway on an ambitious project. Funded by the Ecological Restoration Fund (ERF), the project has seen the RSPB working to combat one of the biggest challenges facing migratory birds – habitat loss. 

Together with our partners and local communities, we've been restoring vital habitat across five key landscapes – so let's take a journey down the flyway and find out what's been happening! 

Did you know that nearly all the Redshanks we see along our coasts and estuaries in winter were born in Iceland? Every year, the tranquil pools and grassy tussocks of the country's lowland wetlands welcome the arrival of thousands of migratory wading birds to breed. These include a staggering 61% of all the world's breeding European Golden Plovers, as well as internationally-important numbers of Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, and Dunlin.  

Unfortunately, over 80% of Iceland's lowland wetlands have been impacted by drainage to convert land for agricultural use (though much of this drained land is not now actively farmed). This has not only damaged important breeding habitat but has also released vital carbon stores locked within the wetlands' peat soils. 

In collaboration with Icelandic NGO Fuglavernd (or BirdLife Iceland) and other partners, we have rewetted 170 hectares of habitat by blocking drains and ditches. In addition, we have established a framework of measures to help strengthen land-use plans across 56 of Iceland’s 64 lowland municipalities. We have also raised further funding to scale up this work in the future. For example, thanks to the ERF project, a landmark €8-million EU-funded project has been launched to deliver even more impact for Iceland's wetlands at scale. 

After breeding in Iceland, many wading birds and waterfowl fly south to the UK. Here, dotted along the east coast of England between the estuaries of the Humber and the Thames, lies a network of key sites for waterbirds. These wetlands provide a vital refuge to an astonishing 1.3 million migratory waterbirds every year. They are also crucial in combatting coastal flooding, improving water quality and fighting the climate crisis. 

We are working with partners in a bid to see these East Coast Wetlands declared as a new UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ERF project has been at the heart of driving this process forward. In October, a key document – the draft Preliminary Assessment – was submitted to the UK Government and reviewed by an expert panel.  

Alongside this, the project has delivered important planning workshops allowing key stakeholders to collaborate, and also included a detailed ecological assessment to identify sites for the creation of saline lagoons. Eight priority sites were identified, covering an area over 250 hectares, to create new areas of this vital habitat. 

In autumn, as wading birds and wildfowl begin arriving on England's east coast, a very different migratory bird has already left our shores for the warmer temperatures of sub-Saharan Africa – the Swift.  

After months spent feeding on insects above tropical canopies, Swifts prepare to return to us in spring and a key refuelling area on their way are the forests of north-west Liberia. These forests are part of the Greater Gola Landscape, which spans the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone and is not only important for birds including Swifts, but also supports over 600 species of butterflies and a host of endangered mammals. 

Here the RSPB has been working with the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) to develop more sustainable livelihoods for local people. The aim is both to support communities and reduce pressure on the forest from unsustainable activities like logging, mining and illegal hunting. 

Working with 200 farmers to strengthen forest-friendly cocoa production, over 8,000 kg of high-quality cocoa beans were sold during the project while 100,000 seedlings were distributed from a dedicated nursery to rehabilitate older cocoa farms.  

Like cocoa farming, beekeeping can also be done within the shade of taller trees to help keep more of the forest system intact. The project has seen 100 farmers trained in this sustainable honey production and the first gallons of honey are now being produced.  

To support ranger patrol efforts in the region's protected forests, 60 Community Ecoguards have been trained under the project. In addition, four community finance groups have also been established (known as 'Village Savings & Loans Associations') supporting 90 local people to access affordable finance.  

Continuing our journey down the flyway we arrive in northern Ghana. Here the dry forests, scrub and open grassland of the Mole National Park provide a perfect refuge for small migratory songbirds, like Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers, after they have crossed the Sahara. 

Unfortunately, outside the national park land has become degraded due to uncontrolled burning for agriculture, timber harvesting for charcoal and other human activities. So we've been working with Ghana Wildlife Society and local communities to help strengthen the buffer area around the national park and provide more habitat for birds and other wildlife. 

Particular highlights from this work have included the establishment of a nursery for key native tree species which support the livelihoods of local communities. Seedlings from the nursery have been planted to restore degraded areas within community lands and conservation areas and we are set to plant 10,000 individual trees by the end of May. 

In another important win for the project, a new Community Resource Management Area (or 'CREMA') was officially established in March 2026 after years of hard work. This will allow several communities on the edge of the park to take greater control over their land and its resources, set aside areas for conservation and establish practices to reduce human-wildlife conflict.  

We have also launched a bioacoustics project, thanks to additional support from the A.G. Leventis Foundation, which is using sound recordings to help us better understand how birds are using the landscape and responding to conservation efforts.  

The ERF project has also seen a wide variety of targeted training carried out, including in agroforestry technique and natural resource management, while supporting the creation of new partnerships and fundraising efforts to support this vital work in the future.   

Our final stop down the flyway sees us arrive at the Berg River Estuary on the west coast of South Africa. More than 250 bird species have been recorded across the estuary's mosaic of different habitats which includes the largest expanse of saltmarsh anywhere in South Africa. Visitors to the Berg include long-distance migratory species, like  Little Stints, which travel here to rest and refuel after breeding thousands of miles away in northern Europe and Asia. 

Due to drought, encroachment from agriculture, over-extraction of water, and other factors, the Berg is a system under pressure with its riverbanks suffering from damaging erosion. Together BirdLife South Africa and the RSPB, alongside a number of agencies and other partners, have been working hard to protect and restore the Berg's rich and varied habitats. 

The project has established nine restoration sites including five areas of bank restoration where soft engineering solutions use native vegetation to reduce further erosion and create important habitat for birds. This vegetation comes from a local nursery where over 1,000 plants from 20 different species are being propagated to support conservation efforts.  

A new Protected Environment has also been established which includes 800 hectares of important saltmarsh and other floodplain habitats while the project has also supported a range of learning and training events for local people and partners.  

One particular highlight from the project has been the recent launch of a new programme of work to track the movements of migratory wading birds after they leave the Berg. In February 2026, three Grey Plovers and 20 Curlew Sandpipers were fitted with tracking devices. They have begun to reveal fascinating insights into their chosen routes and favourite sites with one bird already flying north as far as the Middle East. The clearer a picture we can build about how different species use the flyway, the more targeted and effective we can make our work to protect them. 

"Protecting the flyway is a partnership effort. We are just one link in the chain and we all have to play our part." – Giselle Murison, BirdLife South Africa