Migrating birds know no boundaries and are arguably the most mobile creatures on Earth, undertaking epic journeys each year.
More than 100 migratory bird species have been recorded in southern Africa, with 44 Palearctic migrant species (Europe, Asia, northern Africa and the northern and central parts of the Arabian Peninsula) and 35 Intra-African migrant species having been recorded in South Africa.
Migratory birds travel very long distances on their annual journeys, sometimes even tens of thousands of kilometres. The survival of migratory birds depends on the availability of well-connected networks or chains of habitats along their migration routes, which are used by birds for refuelling. It is not only the breeding and wintering sites which are important, as these feeding and resting sites also fulfil important roles in the biology of migratory birds.
