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BirdLife International unveils global birdsong track to support conservation – EnviroNews
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BirdLife International has released a new Afro-electronic music composition featuring birdsong recordings from more than 100 countries, using the sounds of nature to raise awareness about global bird conservation and support frontline environmental protection efforts.
The composition, titled The Global Birdsong, was released on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, under the Sounds Right Initiative, led by the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live and EarthPercent.
The track brings together 100 recordings of birdsongs and calls contributed by BirdLife International’s partner organisations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific.
The recordings were collected through the Global Birdsong Initiative, which invited BirdLife partners in more than 100 countries to record the songs and calls of bird species considered culturally or biologically significant in their respective locations.
Musicians Timothy Arinaitwe and Axel Wild transformed the recordings into an original Afro-electronic composition, using the birds’ natural sounds as musical instruments to create melodies, rhythms and textures that trace the movement of birds across continents.
Arinaitwe, a Nairobi-based musician behind the composition, said the project demonstrates how music and birdsong can connect people across geographical, cultural and political boundaries.
“Music has always had the power to cross borders, and birds do the same every day,” he said. “Bringing their voices together with African rhythms, guitar and vocals felt like creating a conversation between people, places and nature all within one song.”
Wild, a sound artist and DJ who mixed the composition, said the challenge was to bring together the distinctive sounds of 100 bird species in a unified musical experience.
“Imagine being handed 100 voices from the natural world and asked to turn them into one song. Every bird brought its own rhythm, pitch and personality. My job was to listen, experiment and let those voices shape the music,” he said.
The project draws attention to birds’ ability to move across national borders and connect ecosystems through migration and other natural movements, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in protecting biodiversity.
Birdsong, the initiative noted, is among the natural sounds that can transcend language, geography and politics, offering a shared experience for people across different cultures.
The release also forms part of the Sounds Right Initiative, a global music project that recognises nature as an official recording artist under the name NATURE, enabling royalties generated by its music to support conservation initiatives worldwide.
Iminza Mbwaya, Associate Director at Sounds Right, said The Global Birdsong stands out because of the scale of participation by conservation organisations around the world.
She explained that while more than 200 musicians had collaborated with NATURE since its launch as a credited artist, the new composition brought together more than 100 conservation organisations, each contributing the voice of a bird important to its work.
“It’s one song carrying birdsong from across the world, and every stream helps fund frontline conservation efforts,” Mbwaya said.
The composition is available on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music and YouTube Music, through the Sounds Right project.
Beyond its musical appeal, the release seeks to mobilise public support for bird conservation at a time when many species face increasing environmental pressures.
Martin Harper, Chief Executive Officer of BirdLife International, said the composition was intended as a collective call to action, celebrating the beauty of birds while drawing attention to the threats confronting them.
“By weaving together 100 different birdsongs, we created this rallying call. It’s a reminder of the beauty and wonder that birds bring to our world,” Harper said.
He warned that 61 per cent of all bird species are now in decline, underscoring the urgency of coordinated conservation action.
Harper said BirdLife International’s network of 125 partners was working to protect birds and biodiversity globally, stressing the need for more people to participate in conservation efforts.
The initiative reinforces the role of creative industries in environmental advocacy, demonstrating how music can connect conservation organisations, artists and audiences while generating resources for nature protection.
Through The Global Birdsong, BirdLife International and its partners hope to turn the sounds of birds from across the world into a shared conservation message, encouraging greater public engagement in efforts to ensure that bird populations and the ecosystems on which they depend can thrive.
