Central Asian Flyway

The Central Asian Flyway is a major migratory route spanning roughly 30 countries from the Arctic through Central Asia to the Indian Ocean. It supports over 300 species of migratory birds—cranes, geese, shorebirds, and raptors among them—connecting breeding grounds, stopover sites, and wintering habitats across wonderfully diverse landscapes.

Central Asian countries sit at the heart of this flyway. Their wetlands, steppe lakes, river deltas, and grasslands function as irreplaceable mid-route refuges where birds rest, refuel, and recover during long migrations. Because these sites determine whether many species successfully complete their journeys, the region plays an outsized role in the stability of the entire flyway.

As pressures from habitat loss, climate change, and growing human disturbance increase, coordinated conservation efforts across Central Asia are essential to maintain the ecological connectivity that migratory birds depend on throughout their annual cycles.