Global Flyway Network (GFN)

The Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative is a trilateral initiative of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands that promotes the conservation of migratory waterbirds along the East Atlantic Flyway. Established in 2012 at the request of UNESCO, it supports coordinated monitoring, capacity building and local management, linking the Wadden Sea with key breeding, stopover, and wintering sites from the Arctic to West and southern Africa. By strengthening international partnerships, the WSFI aims to maintain the ecological connectivity that migratory birds depend on throughout their annual cycle.

The Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative is an initiative of the Arctic Council through its Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group that brings together Arctic states, Indigenous organizations, and international partners to conserve Arctic-breeding migratory birds across their flyways, including the East Atlantic Flyway. AMBI promotes coordinated conservation actions to address major threats such as habitat loss, unsustainable harvest, bycatch, invasive species, and climate change across multiple international flyways.

BirdLife’s East Atlantic Flyway Initiative is an initiative to improve the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats along the East Atlantic Flyway. Established in 2015, it operates through a network of national BirdLifepartners, who work with governments, local communities, and other stakeholders to monitor and protect important sites for migratory birds. The initiative also supports international policy developments to ensure that migratory species are protected throughout their annual migration cycle.

Migratory Birds for People is a network coordinated through Wetland Link International that connects wetland education centres along the East Atlantic Flyway to promote awareness and conservation of migratory birds. The initiative supports knowledge exchange, environmental education, youth engagement, and collaboration between sites across Africa and Europe, helping people understand the importance of migratory birds and the wetlands they depend on.

The Global Flyway Network is a non-profit foundation that seeks to foster and strengthen collaboration among researchers studying migratory shorebirds across the world. Established in 2006, GFN promotes research on shorebird demography and movement ecology, using long-term monitoring, colour-ringing, and satellite tracking to better understand the factors affecting populations along global flyways. GFN also hosts an interactive website to visualize life-histories of shorebirds tracked by the network, which is being develop in close collaboration with BirdEyes (University of Groningen).