A big day for fishing – and migratory birds

Here in Minnesota, Saturday, May 12 is big.

It’s the iconic state fishing opener.

But while the approximately 500,000 anglers that are expected to participate in the opener are on the water, there’s a good chance they’ll see more than fish; migratory birds are a staple of Minnesota lake country, too.

Worldwide, they’re also a staple of the second weekend in May: World Migratory Bird Day. May is American Wetlands Month.

On #WorldMigratoryBirdDay, remember that #ClimateChange is one of the greatest threats to the survival of migratory birds worldwide https://t.co/ww9xRZJkTO Climate change is altering the seasonal clock that birds rely on to mate & raise healthy offspring @WMBD Video via @Newsy pic.twitter.com/tJxgLBV4FL

— UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) May 11, 2018

“World Migratory Bird Day is a conservation initiative that focuses awareness on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the world,” Ducks Unlimited Chief Conservation Officer Nick Wiley said. “The program is dedicated to international conservation efforts and environmental education all over the world, including North America, where Ducks Unlimited works every day to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl.”

Since 1993, International Migratory Bird Day has been celebrated during the second weekend in May in the Western Hemisphere, coordinated by Environment for the Americas and sponsored by dozens of organizations dedicated to birds and bird conservation. It’s been a mostly quiet celebration for the late 25 years, although with change swirling around the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of late, it may be more significant than ever.

For more on World Migratory Bird Day, click here.