JOHOR BARU: Haze could disrupt the movement and survival of migratory birds passing through Malaysia, particularly if poor air quality persists during the migration season, says Malaysian Nature Society Johor adviser Dr Vincent Chow.
Reduced visibility caused by haze could affect birds as they navigated their migration routes, potentially forcing them to delay their journeys, alter flight paths or make additional stopovers.
Chow said migratory birds could generally be divided into two broad groups – inland species that travelled between forested areas and coastal species that followed the coast on their journeys.
“These birds migrate along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, travelling from north to south and then back again to escape the winter season,” he said here yesterday.
He said some migratory birds travelled thousands of kilometres along the flyway, with some flying as far south as New Zealand before returning north.
“They can fly as far as New Zealand, where they lay their eggs, before flying back north with their offspring when spring arrives in the northern hemisphere,” he said.
Chow said haze could pose additional challenges during these long journeys, particularly when visibility was significantly reduced.
“Poor visibility could interfere with birds’ ability to navigate and could cause them to delay their movement, change their flight paths or stop at different locations along the way,” he said.
He added that haze could also affect birds that relied heavily on their vision to locate food, particularly species that hunted or foraged visually.
“Food availability is another concern because haze can affect insects and other food sources that migratory birds depend on,” he said.
A reduction in food resources could be particularly problematic for birds already expending significant amounts of energy during long-distance migration.
Chow said smoke and fires associated with haze could also degrade important habitats, including wetlands, forests and other stopover sites used by migratory birds.
“These habitats are important because the birds need places to rest and replenish their energy before continuing their journey,” he said.
Birds forced to fly around polluted areas or make additional stops could end up using more energy.
“If they have to take longer routes or make additional stopovers, they will expend more energy, and if there is also a lack of food resources, it could become risky for their survival,” he said.
Chow said the impact would depend on the severity and duration of the haze, as well as the species and migration route.
He added that protecting forests, wetlands and other important stopover habitats remained crucial to protecting migratory birds.
