Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi (Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea and Birds Korea)
The 2026 Global Birdfair officially opened on 10 July 2026, bringing together birdwatchers, conservationists, researchers, photographers, artists, and industry leaders from around the world. This year’s conservation theme, “Preventing Island Extinctions,” highlights the urgent need to protect island biodiversity, with the Dwarf Ibis (Bostrychia bocagei) serving as the flagship species.
Among the participants was Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi, Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea and a lifetime member of Birds Korea, who attended the event alongside Flyway colleagues. Special thanks go to Ms. Hyeseon Do, Consultant at the RSPB, for her generous support and collaboration throughout my visit to Cambridge, UK, this week.
With Flyway Colleagues from the EAAFP Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force and RSPB (© Hyun-Ah Choi)
One of the defining features of Global Birdfair is its unique atmosphere. The event brings together leading bird conservation organisations, including BirdLife International, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and the Wild Bird Society of Japan, as well as world-renowned optics manufacturers, wildlife artists, nature photographers, and birding travel companies. The result is a unique blend of a high-end optics showroom, a nature photography gallery, and a bird conservation exhibition, perfectly reflecting the character of Global Birdfair. Visitors can explore the latest binoculars and spotting scopes while engaging with organisations dedicated to protecting birds and their habitats worldwide.
Highlights from Day 1 of the Global Birdfair (© Hyun-Ah Choi)
One of the highlights of the event was a presentation by Kelly Hunt at the Young Conservationists Hub, where she shared an inspiring perspective on landscape restoration and conservation. She emphasized that conservation is not about leaving nature completely untouched, but about restoring natural processes and allowing ecosystems to function as they were meant to. Ms. Hunt explained that landscape-scale grazing benefits far more than biodiversity and wildlife. It also improves livestock welfare, reduces management costs for farmers, and creates healthier, more resilient landscapes. By working with natural ecological processes instead of trying to control them, grazing can become a powerful tool for long-term environmental recovery. Her presentation offered a compelling reminder that working with nature, rather than against it, is one of the most effective strategies for restoring ecosystems and conserving biodiversity. It was a message that resonated strongly with the spirit of Global Birdfair and its mission to inspire practical, collaborative conservation around the world.
I was also fortunate to attend a special networking reception hosted by BirdLife International, where I had the opportunity to meet and engage with conservation leaders and partners from around the world.
Until now, my experience in Korea had been limited to visiting the small exhibition and promotional booths set up during the Gochang Big Bird Race. Global Birdfair, however, was on an entirely different scale in terms of its organisation, the diversity of exhibitors, and the breadth of its international participation. Seeing leading bird conservation organisations, optics manufacturers, wildlife artists, nature photographers, and birding tour operators come together in one place reinforced the idea that bird conservation extends far beyond scientific research and species protection. It is a field that brings together education, culture, industry, ecotourism, and public engagement in meaningful and inspiring ways.
Participating in Global Birdfair gave me a firsthand appreciation of how an international bird fair can serve as much more than an exhibition. It is a global platform for sharing knowledge, building partnerships, and inspiring collaborative action for bird conservation.
Highlights from Day 1 of the Global Birdfair (© Hyun-Ah Choi)
With Flyway Colleagues from RSPB’s Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction Programme and the Wild Bird Society of Japan (© Hyun-Ah Choi)
