Belau National Museum Education Campaign on the Northern Peleliu Lkes

The Belau National Museum embarked on our 4th trip to the Northern Peleliu Lkes on October 10, 2020. This special day was World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD). The aim of WMBD is to raise awareness on the importance of ecological connectivity for migratory birds. WMBD calls for global conservation of migratory birds through international cooperation. WMBD is celebrated on the second Saturday in May and October. Its theme this year is “Birds Connect our World.” This theme was chosen to highlight the importance of conserving and restoring the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural movements of migratory birds that are essential for their survival and well-being.
As migratory birds connect many countries, their conservation requires cooperation between these countries and across national and international boundaries. Most migratory birds flying to Palau use the Northern Peleliu Lkes as a critical stop-over habitat. The BNM with our partners are conducting an Awareness Campaign on the importance and conservation efforts at this site to ensure the survival of migratory birds. Conservation consortium partners from the marine, cultural, agricultural, and tourism sector participated in the Peleliu Lkes sand flats bird watching event. We thank the Small Grants Program, Global Environment Facility, Palau Conservation Society, Kaudiais, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Natural Resources Environment and Tourism, Bureau of Marine Resources for their support.
Since September, we have observed hundreds of Whimbrels (Okak), Red-necked Stints, Greater Sand Plovers, and Ruddy Turnstones. We have observed the endangered Far Eastern Curlew (Delerrok) and Great Knot. Several birds had color coded flags on their legs that indicated they flew all the way from China, Russia, Taiwan and perhaps New Zealand to rest and feed at Northern Peleliu Lkes. These winged ambassadors require our good stewardship and protection to ensure their well-being and safety during their long migratory journeys around the globe.
Saturday, October 17, 2020 is October Big Day. Birdwatchers around the world will count all species of birds they see or hear including migratory birds, forest birds, coastal birds, and shore birds. This year will be the first Global Bird Weekend (October 17-18, 2020) to help support BirdLife International’s appeal to end the illegal bird trade. The aim for Global Bird Weekend is to have more than 25,000 people submit an eBird checklist. So please sign up for a free account. Then, observe and record the birds you see and enter your bird counts into your eBird account for inclusion in the October Big Day. Please join the BNM staff at Long Island this coming Saturday October 17, 2020, at 6am to participant in Palau’s October Big Day! Call the Belau National Museum (488-2841/2265) for more information.