Bird Migration: Shuttling Between Worlds

Bird migration bridges continents. Year after year in March, Elizabeth, a young girl residing in Ethiopia, woke to the cheerful calls of bee-eaters filling the air. Their fleeting presence signified their journey to breeding grounds, prompting Elizabeth’s curiosity about their destination. She also wondered why, of all the times they could leave,
they departed now from Ethiopia, as this was when the fertile rainy season started. But, guided by her grandmother’s wisdom, Elizabeth knew they would return in September,
bringing along their offspring.

Each March, Barbara, a young girl in central Europe, eagerly waited to hear again the song of the migratory birds. As she observed their return, she contemplated the distant places they had visited and the adventures they might have encountered. Little did we, Elizabeth Yohannes and Barbara Helm, realise our connection through these migratory birds.

As doctoral students, the two authors, Elizabeth Yohannes and Barbara Helm, crossed paths and are now members of the Bird Migration Unit at the Swiss Ornithological Institute. Bird migration continues to be their inspiration, steering their research towards intercontinental migration routes and the conservation of birds. In this thematic issue, they aspire to share the fascination, presenting bird migration through the lens of two distinct continents. Join us on this journey.