An indigo bunting perched on a branch, Texas

© Jeff R Clow/Getty Image

Tweeting 'bon voyage'. World Migratory Bird Day

Have you ever thought about the annual journeys undertaken by birds across the planet? Today, to mark World Migratory Bird Day, we introduce the indigo bunting, a tiny bird with plumage like the twilight sky. They traverse thousands of kilometres using the stars to navigate. These birds migrate between their breeding grounds in North America and their wintering grounds in Central America and northern South America.

Inaugurated in 2006, World Migratory Bird Day brings people together to help protect our feathered friends. On this day, people in the US and Canada who share a passion for preserving bird habitats engage in birdwatching, educational programmes and conservation efforts. This year's campaign highlights conservation methods focused on reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers and switching to organic farming. So, let's turn our gazes upward, where the pulse of life flaps with untiring wings and pledge to safeguard the flyways that are essential for ecological balance.