Etihad Airways, EAD Launch Abu Dhabi Birdathon To Commemorate Year Of Zayed
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published November 14, 2018 | 11:30 AM
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 14th Nov, 2018) Etihad Airways and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD, today launched the Abu Dhabi Birdathon at the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. The initiative celebrates the Year of Zayed by honouring and commemorating the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s deep connection to sustainability.
10 Greater Flamingos were tagged and released at a special ceremony to commence the Abu Dhabi Birdathon and enable tracking of these migratory birds in order to raise awareness around wetland conservation. The flamingo which has migrated the furthest by 4th March 2019, coinciding with World Wildlife Day, will be declared the ‘winner’.
Etihad Airways and EAD invited several strategic partners including the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Masdar, ADNOC and First Abu Dhabi Bank to participate in the event by tagging their own flamingos. Etihad Airways Engineering and Etihad Cargo also tagged birds to enter the event.
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, "We are thrilled to launch this project with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi to honour a great visionary’s passion for wildlife release programmes.
"As these beautiful birds take flight, satellite transmitters will not only allow us to obverse their migratory patterns as they travel towards the Caspian Sea, but also preserve the emirate’s rich biodiversity."
Over the next four months the flamingos are expected to migrate to breeding grounds over 4,000 kilometres away in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with www.adbirdathon.ae tracking their journey home.
Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said, "We have been tagging and tracking migratory birds since 2005 and the information collected has helped us identify areas of conservation significance for these birds.
"Today, the Abu Dhabi Birdathon is our way of sharing a passion for conservation with our strategic partners while paying tribute to our founding father’s vision."
In 1998, it was the late Sheikh Zayed who observed the successful breeding of the Greater Flamingo in Abu Dhabi for the first time, and recognised the potential of Al Wathba as a safe breeding ground for the species. Today, Al Wathba sits proudly among 18 other protected areas, as part of the Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
More Stories From Middle East
-
UAE announces ‘Zero Bureaucracy Program’ to reduce bureaucracy
3 months ago -
COP28 President-Designate welcomes Transitional Committee agreement to operationalise Loss and Damag ..
6 months ago -
Global Media Congress 2023 to feature Co-Production Majlis as a new networking platform
6 months ago -
Young female athletes shine at Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship
6 months ago -
King of Jordan receives Abdullah bin Zayed and ministers participating in Arab coordination meeting
6 months ago -
Abdullah bin Zayed participates in coordination meeting of Arab foreign ministers, joint meeting wit ..
6 months ago
-
3rd annual conference of Emirates Society of Clinical Microbiology kicks off in Dubai
6 months ago -
SIBF 2023 hosts Nobel laureate to discuss emergence of ‘Afrofuturism’ in global discourse
6 months ago -
ALC announces winners of Kanz Al Jeel Award 2023
6 months ago -
SIBF turns spotlight on remarkable contributions of women
6 months ago -
Global assets in spot bitcoin ETFs hit $4.16 billion
6 months ago -
Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157
6 months ago