Twice a year, billions of birds undertake remarkable journeys across the globe, traveling along defined pathways and following specific routes called flyways, nature's sky highways. These routes guide them south for the winter and back north in the spring for breeding.
Migratory birds achieve astonishing speeds, altitudes, and distances during their travels. However, their journeys are filled with challenges and dangers, many caused by human activities, provoking significant declines due to various factors affecting different parts of their migratory routes.
We have a strong understanding of population trends for migratory landbirds in Europe, as well as the impact of habitat quality and climate change on breeding grounds for many species. However, our knowledge is limited regarding how these factors affect most species at staging and non-breeding sites across Europe and Africa.
The Mediterranean - Black Sea Flyway is one of three African migration routes linking Europe to Africa, together forming the largest bird migration system in the world.

• THE AFRICAN-EURASIAN FLYWAY covers the East Atlantic Flyway, the Mediterranean/Black Sea Flyway, and the East Asia/East Africa Flyway. 500+ Species in 100+ countries.
• AMERICAS FLYWAY covers the Pacific Americas Flyway, the Central Americas Flyway, and the Atlantic Americas Flyway. 2000+ Species in 35 countries.
• EAST ASIAN-AUSTRALASIAN FLYWAY stretches from Arctic Russia and North America to New Zealand with 600+ species in 37 countries
• THE CENTRAL ASIAN FLYWAY connects a large part of the Palaearctic with the Indian subcontinent, with 600+ species in 30+ countries.

In addition, despite the prohibitions imposed by the Commission’s Birds Directive, the illegal capture, killing, or trade of wild birds in Europe is still a major problem. An estimated 25 million birds are killed annually around the Mediterranean Basin alone as they migrate between Europe and Africa.
We can now track individual migratory birds and their populations at the temporal and spatial scales to which they are adapted. This capability offers the potential to fully understand how they respond to challenges such as habitat loss and climate change throughout their flyways.

Advanced tools, techniques, methods, and remote sensing devices now enable the tracking of birds, including small species, during their annual migration cycle, even in hard-to-reach areas.
However, significant challenges persist. Research efforts remain largely uncoordinated, and the absence of a unified network hampers the swift exchange of ideas, priorities, and knowledge, lagging far behind the accelerating rate of species decline. In addition, current research efforts are predominantly centered in core European countries.

Introducing EUFLYNET COST Action

To tackle and improve this lack of coordination, a research network was established to lift the challenges and study migrant land bird dynamics: A European flyway research network for the effective conservation of migrant land birds – EUFLYNET.
This collaborative research network brings together 290 scientists and experts in migratory bird conservation and biological sciences across 48 countries.
“At EUFLYNET, we’re working to connect the dots across flyway conservation. From identifying key knowledge gaps to developing multi-species action plans, our goal is to support effective, evidence-based conservation. We’re committed to building capacity not only within European countries but also by involving researchers and conservationists from Africa. By actively engaging stakeholders and policymakers, and fostering collaboration across disciplines and regions, we aim to take a broad, inclusive view of conservation challenges. This is a space where we learn from one another, share expertise, and come together to brainstorm solutions that work across borders.” says Dr Ivan Maggini, chairing the COST Action.

The challenge lies in achieving geographic balance in expertise and integrating local research efforts to enable accurate, flyway-wide conclusions for all migratory land bird species. The EUFLYNET COST Action seeks to establish a cohesive research network across Europe and its neighboring regions to identify practical flyway-level solutions and take the crucial step of including African countries in the effort. By doing so, they hope to create a pan-European plan for the conservation of migratory birds that are endangered and threatened with extinction.
Currently, around 50 receiver stations are active in Europe, providing only minimal coverage. There is a significant opportunity to expand and coordinate bird tracking efforts across Europe and beyond to gain a comprehensive understanding of the flyway.

Birds - Nature’s Health Barometers

A research network presents unique opportunities for fundamental studies essential to conserving migratory birds. These include identifying key habitats and sites, understanding human impacts, exploring ways to influence human behaviour, and driving technological innovation.
EUFLYNET aims to integrate local researchers into a multidisciplinary flyway-level research network and align international conservation priorities. The objective is to make these approaches standard practice across Europe and its neighbouring regions. Flyways provide a framework that can help forge international collaboration and focus attention on the strategic needs of migratory birds.

Conservation solutions must function on a broad spatial and temporal scale, often spanning multiple countries with varying priorities. The current challenge lies in identifying and addressing these unique, country-specific priorities effectively towards more effective conservation strategies.
This will enhance the capacity to conserve migratory land bird populations, which play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and enriching the quality of life.

Opportunities for young researchers

EUFLYNET is also a springboard for PhD students. Through networking tools and grants, the next generation of scientists in this field can learn from their peers and expand their knowledge in migratory bird conservation. Susan McKinlay, PhD student at the University of Milan, was awarded the COST dissemination conference grant.

"The COST dissemination conference grant allowed me to attend this year’s BES Annual Meeting in Movement Ecology at the University of Southampton. It was an incredible chance to connect with scientists studying movement in different environments—marine, aerial, and terrestrial. It was eye-opening to see how differently movement ecology is approached across these fields, and I came away with some great new insights.” She adds: “The meeting didn’t just expand my understanding of movement ecology across different environments—it also opened doors to exciting new collaborations and research opportunities."
During the first year, 7 Short-Term Scientific Missions were awarded, 1 ITC Conference Grant, and 1 Dissemination Grant. Training schools were organised that brought together participants from across Europe and Africa, strengthening capacity in field ornithology, tracking techniques, and quantitative methods. The network strongly believes that involving young scientists and conservationists as well as people from across the entire flyway, is essential to their mission. Sharing knowledge, experience, and perspectives is key to protecting migratory birds more effectively.

Branching out

Upcoming training schools and meetings can be found here

Additional Information
View the Action website
View the network website: https://www.euflynet.eu/
Follow EUFLYNET on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and X
The Birds Directive & The Habitat Directive
Key facts source: https://www.birdlife.org/globalflyways/
World Migratory Bird Day 2025