Cambridge-based BirdLife International launches free film series on the people protecting migratory birds

A new free-to-watch digital film series from Cambridge-headquartered conservation partnership BirdLife International and UK B Corp Content With Purpose (CWP) is shining a light on the people working across borders to protect migratory birds.

Launched to mark World Migratory Bird Day on 10 October, Global Flyways brings together 68 films and video stories filmed across 19 countries and five continents. The series follows four major global flyways, introducing the scientists tracking migration, local communities restoring wetlands, Indigenous knowledge holders and conservation groups safeguarding the habitats that migrating birds rely on.

Connecting habitats across continents

Every year, billions of migratory birds cross oceans and continents along ancient routes that link ecosystems in Britain and Europe with wetlands, forests and coastlines thousands of miles away.

According to BirdLife International's 2026 State of the World's Birds report, 45% of migratory bird species are in decline and one in nine (around 200 species) are threatened with extinction. Because these birds depend on a chain of healthy stopover sites across multiple countries, protecting them requires coordinated conservation along entire flyways.

The series features contributions from 19 documentary partners, 10 expert interviews and four case studies, including work involving the RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland and Dublin Port, the BirdEyes Centre for Global Ecological Change, Nature Canada and the Peace Parks Foundation.

"People working tirelessly to save migratory birds"

Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International, said: "For two years our camera crews followed the birds through 19 countries, and at every stop they found people working tirelessly to save migratory birds. From today, anyone can watch. Together, we can inspire a global movement to safeguard these natural super-highways, for birds, for people and for the planet, and save the wonder of migration."

Max Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Content With Purpose, said: "Across the world, people are doing extraordinary work to protect migratory birds and the landscapes and habitats they depend on. Global Flyways brings those efforts together, showing what conservation looks like in practice and what can be achieved when communities, scientists, organisations and decision-makers work towards a shared goal.

"This series is about celebrating progress as much as recognising the challenges ahead. By sharing examples of successful action from across the globe, we hope to show that protecting birds and the places they rely on is possible, and that there is already a huge amount of knowledge, commitment and momentum we can build on."

How to watch

The full Global Flyways series and launch trailer are free to watch online at contentwithpurpose.co.uk/birdlife/globalflyways.

Story information and imagery supplied by Becky Mansfield on behalf of BirdLife International and Content With Purpose.