Zimbabwe joins the global community in commemorating World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), celebrating the incredible journeys of migratory birds and highlighting the importance of their conservation. Observed annually on the second Saturday of May, World Migratory Bird Day highlights the critical importance of migratory birds, the habitats they depend on, and the shared responsibility of governments, communities, and citizens in safeguarding biodiversity for present and future generations. This year’s theme, “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, highlights the vital role that individual observations play in understanding bird migration patterns and fostering awareness about the challenges these species face. Through bird observations, photography, and participation in biodiversity monitoring platforms, members of the public can make meaningful contributions to conservation knowledge and decision-making. Every observation strengthens national datasets and supports global efforts to conserve migratory birds. We are all encouraged to actively support initiatives to conserve wetlands, forests, and other natural habitats that sustain migratory birds and biodiversity. Located along the African–Eurasian Migratory Flyway, the country hosts a wide diversity of migratory waterbirds, raptors, and terrestrial bird species. These species rely on wetlands, protected areas, forests, and community landscapes during various stages of their migration and breeding cycles. Migratory birds also play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem integrity through pollination, seed dispersal, natural pest regulation, and by serving as key indicators of environmental health. As the world commemorates this important day, Zimbabwe reaffirms its commitment to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and its related instruments, including the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MoU). Through these frameworks, coordinated measures are being implemented to maintain and restore migratory bird populations to a favourable conservation status by addressing key threats, strengthening habitat conservation, promoting international cooperation, and supporting science-based decision-making. In line with obligations under CMS and AEWA, priority continues to be placed on the conservation, management, and sustainable use of critical migratory bird habitats, particularly wetlands and breeding sites, through the effective implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Management interventions focus on maintaining ecological character, strengthening site-level planning, and integrating migratory bird conservation into broader landscape- and ecosystem-based management approaches. These national efforts are further reinforced by key global outcomes of CMS CoP15 and Ramsar CoP15, which underscored the urgent need to strengthen flyway-scale conservation, enhance cross-sectoral collaboration, address poisoning and other anthropogenic threats, and improve the protection, restoration, and wise use of wetlands critical for migratory species. The decisions and resolutions adopted at these Conferences of the Parties provide strategic guidance that aligns closely with national priorities, particularly on habitat connectivity, species recovery, and the integration of migratory species conservation into wider development and land-use planning processes. Further progress is being made in the implementation of species-specific management and action plans aligned with CMS and AEWA priorities, particularly for threatened and declining species. Notably, the National Vulture Conservation and Lead Poisoning Mitigation Strategy is being implemented to address poisoning risks, promote safer practices, and strengthen monitoring and response mechanisms, contributing directly to commitments under the Raptors MoU. To support evidence-based implementation, ongoing research, monitoring, and data collection on migratory bird species and their habitats are being undertaken in collaboration with local universities, BirdLife Zimbabwe, and other partners. These efforts contribute to national reporting processes, regional assessments, and the global knowledge base under CMS and its associated instruments. As we celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, the message is clear: protecting migratory birds and their habitats today is essential for ecological sustainability, climate resilience, and the preservation of the country’s natural heritage for future generations. “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!” Luckmore Safuli is Zimparks public relations manager