Migratory species are the Clark Kents of the natural world. They collectively run circles around the globe like Kent did as Superman to ‘turn back time’ in the 1978 movie. Migrating animals don’t traverse the Earth to revive a dead loved one, as the fictional superhero did. They fly, swim, crawl, walk, and jump across great distances to breed, feed and ultimately, to live.
As they go, migratory species disperse seeds, pollinate plants, deposit nutrients, and provide other environmental benefits. Simply put, their combined actions have a profound impact, as Superman’s effort did. While he transformed how the world turned, these globe-trotting species help to shape how it works.
Alarmingly, many of the Earth’s wild travellers are in dire straits, according to a report released by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). It warned that migratory species face a growing extinction risk globally
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