Birdlife International

BirdLife International is a global partnership of over 100 national conservation organisations working to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, and to promote sustainability in the use of natural resources. 

The African-Eurasian Flyway stretches from the Arctic to southern Africa and is one of four major global migration routes for birds. Often described as ‘avian superhighways’, these pathways are traversed by hundreds of millions of birds each year, including species like Barnacle Geese, Dunlin, and Wigeon. But key sites along the flyway are under threat from habitat loss, illegal hunting, and climate change. Losing these places would have serious consequences for the birds that rely on them to rest, refuel, and breed. 

ERF’s grant supports BirdLife International, the RSPB, and their partners to scale up efforts to protect and restore these critical sites. This includes reducing threats to migratory birds, strengthening local conservation capacity, and developing long-term plans that benefit nature, people, and the climate. The programme focuses on key countries such as Iceland, Ghana, and South Africa, as well as vital landscapes like England’s East Coast Wetlands and the Gola Rainforest. Backed by strong science, BirdLife also challenges harmful development proposals and fosters greater collaboration among partners across the Flyway.