BirdLife International facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BirdLife International

Formation	June 20, 1922; 103 years ago (1922-06-20)
Type	INGO
Purpose	Conservation
Headquarters	Cambridge, United Kingdom
Region served	Worldwide
Chairman	Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias
Chief Executive	Patricia Zurita
Formerly called	International Council for Bird Preservation

BirdLife International is a worldwide group of organizations. They work together to protect birds and their natural homes. Their main goals include stopping bird species from disappearing forever. They also find and protect important places for birds. BirdLife International helps keep and fix up key bird habitats. They also support people who work to protect nature around the world.

This group has over 2.5 million members. These members are part of 116 partner organizations in different countries. Some well-known partners include the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK. Others are the Wild Bird Society of Japan and the National Audubon Society in the USA.

BirdLife International has found over 13,000 special areas for birds and other wildlife. These are called Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. They also help the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They decide which bird species are in danger on the IUCN Red List. As of 2015, BirdLife International reported that about 1,375 bird species are at risk. This means 13% of all bird species could disappear forever.

BirdLife International publishes a magazine called BirdLife: The Magazine. It comes out four times a year. The magazine shares the latest news about birds and how to protect them. They also publish a scientific journal called Bird Conservation International.

History of BirdLife International

A warden with an ICBP mark on his uniform on La Digue, Seychelles in the 1970s.

BirdLife International started a long time ago, in 1922. It was first called the International Council for Bird Protection. Two American bird experts, T. Gilbert Pearson and Jean Theodore Delacour, helped create it.

Over the years, the group changed its name a few times. In 1928, it became the International Committee for Bird Preservation. Then, in 1960, it was renamed the International Council for Bird Preservation. Finally, in 1993, it got its current name, BirdLife International.

Protecting Birds Around the World

BirdLife International runs nine big programs to protect birds. These programs are active in many parts of the world. They work in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. They also help in Central Asia and the Pacific regions.

These programs guide how they plan and carry out their conservation work. They also help them check how well their efforts are doing. Some of their important programs include:

• The Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Program: This program focuses on finding and protecting key places for birds.
• The Marine Program: This program works to protect birds that live in or near the ocean.
• The Preventing Extinctions Program: This program focuses on saving bird species that are very close to disappearing forever.
• The Flyways Program: This program helps protect birds during their long journeys. Many birds travel thousands of miles between their breeding and wintering grounds.