10 flamingos take flight in ‘birdathon’
Bird that migrates farthest by next March 4 will be declared the winner
In line with Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s legacy of wildlife conservation, the Abu Dhabi Birdathon launched yesterday will track 10 flamingos over four months. The bird that migrates the farthest by March 4, 2019 — World Wildlife Day — will be declared the winner. The birds can be tracked online at www.adbirdathon.ae.
The ‘birdathon’ is a joint initiative between Etihad Airways and the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and aims to raise awareness about the UAE’s flamingo breeding programme at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve.
The birds are expected to travel more than 4,000km during the next four months, migrating to countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan before making their way back to the UAE.
“As these beautiful birds take flight, satellite transmitters will not only allow us to observe their migratory patterns as they travel towards the Caspian Sea, but also preserve the emirate’s rich biodiversity,” said Tony Douglas, group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group.
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Daheri, executive director of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at EAD, said: “In 1998, it was Shaikh Zayed who recognised the potential of Al Wathba as a safe breeding ground for flamingos, which led him to establish it as a protected area.”