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Special recognition of May 13, 2023 as World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD).
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, migratory birds are some of the most beautiful and easily observed wildlife that share our community; and
WHEREAS, Lake County is part of an important migratory bird route including the Lake Michigan Flyway, one of the busiest migratory corridors in North America; and
WHEREAS, many citizens recognize and welcome migratory songbirds as symbolic harbingers of spring; and
WHEREAS, these migrant species also play an important economic role in our community, controlling insect pests and attracting birders to visit from outside our community; and
WHEREAS, migratory birds and their habitats are declining throughout the Americas, facing a growing number of threats on their migration routes and in both their summer and winter homes; and
WHEREAS, public awareness and concern are crucial components of migratory bird conservation; and
WHEREAS, residents that are enthusiastic about birds, informed about the threats they face, and empowered to help address those threats can directly contribute to maintaining healthy bird populations; and
WHEREAS, since 1993, World Migratory Bird Day (formerly International Migratory Bird Day) has become a primary vehicle for focusing public attention on the nearly 350 species that travel between nesting habitats in our communities and throughout North America and their wintering grounds in South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southern U.S.; and
WHEREAS, the Northern Shoveler and American White Pelican remind us that many species need wetlands and open water for migration, wintering, and breeding. The Osprey serves as a conservation success story, reminding us that bird population declines can be reversed when we work together to conserve and protect our planet; and
WHEREAS, light pollution attracts and disorients nocturnally migrating birds, making them more likely to land in areas where they are more vulnerable to collisions and other dangers; individuals, communities, and government are encouraged to “dim the lights at night”; and
WHEREAS, WMBD is not only a day to foster appreciation for wild birds and to celebrate and support migratory bird conservation, but is also a call to action.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOGNIZED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that May 13, 2023 is World Migratory Bird Day and residents are urged to celebrate this observance and support efforts to protect and conserve migratory birds and their habitats in our community and the world at large.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on May 9, 2023.