Over a billion birds die from hitting glass every year, like this young Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Birds in flight see the trees, buildings, or open space which is behind them reflected in the glass they are flying toward and see it as a safe passage. This doesn’t have to happen. Birds, like us, can see the […]
BirdLife International’s innovative Global Flyways project protects bird habitat through full migration and lifecycle. This approach is a conservation game-changer. Here’s why. Migration is one of the most extraordinary and extreme feats in the natural world, and birds take this to unparalleled levels. These incredible travelers cross multiple borders during their migrations, relying on safe […]
Many birds that migrate through our cities spend most of their lives in boreal forests or other wild places with little knowledge of the manmade structures they need to navigate around when they migrate at night. Adding to this, many buildings are brightly lit, sending confusing signals to migratory birds, and making an already dangerous […]
Climate Week NYC, in partnership with the UN General Assembly, is wrapping up. This past week, over 1,000 global leaders gathered to address climate challenges. Conservation organizations such as BirdLife International and National Audubon Society were advocating on behalf of birds. As birdwatchers, we witness the decline in bird populations firsthand, and we can help […]
Where will you be on October 12? No matter where you are, join the global celebration of World Migratory Bird Day by participating in October Big Day. By submitting eBird checklists from your location, you’ll be part of a worldwide effort to capture a snapshot of bird populations, their movements, and distributions. This initiative, held […]
What happens when we flush a resting flock of birds? During nesting season most people make an effort to not disturb birds nesting in trees, or on the ground or beach, as the consequences are obvious. But what about a flock just hanging out? How can chasing them, walking too close or having a dog […]
Bird migration is one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena. Across eight major global flyways, birds navigate diverse terrains, face unique challenges, and cover vast distances. Many of the birds we see during nesting season spend the majority of their time migrating or overwintering in distant places. But we can help them locally when they are […]
Feathers are amazing structures. But after about a year, constant use and exposure to the elements mean they have to be replaced. So how do you replace the roughly 20 feathers in each wing that are essential to flight? It’s a pretty tricky business, and each species of birds has its own way of managing […]
The Pacific Flyway, which runs along the Pacific coast of the Americas is a heavily used migratory pathway for shorebirds – some of which migrate many thousands of miles twice annually. These birds rely on stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys. However, over the past 150 years, many of these […]
Flyways are ancient aerial highways all migrating land and shore birds use globally to move between overwintering and breeding locations every year. There are eight major flyways over land around the globe. But did you know that over the high seas, there are also Marine Flyways? Seabirds like petrels, albatross and terns are pelagic birds […]
Grab those binos and get outside to find birds on May 11 for Global Big Day! Join thousands of birders around the world to send eBird reports of what they’ve seen in the same 24-hour period twice per year. A high volume of eBird lists on the same two days each year give scientists a data […]
Flashes of yellow zip across your binos as warblers flit through the leaves foraging for insects. They are quick and beautiful, but who does that yellow belong to? At this time of year, male warblers in their breeding plumage are striking but can look similar – especially when they are moving quickly. Here are some […]
Every year billions of birds migrate from their overwintering grounds, making a perilous journey at high speed to their breeding grounds which can be thousands of miles away. Many of these birds migrate under the cover of darkness – something which technically should provide them with safety from predators, lower winds, and the ability […]
Wondering if your area will have a migration fallout tomorrow, or just a slow barely noticeable group of new migrants coming through? If you want to see what’s happening in real-time overhead and get local as well as national information on migration patterns and birds, you are in luck! BirdCast has redefined the way we […]
Not all birds migrate. But of the roughly 40% who do, different species migrate in different ways, at different times and different distances. Some birds like Bar-tailed Godwits repeatedly set records for the longest sustained flight without any stops – now over 9 days from Alaska to New Zealand! Northern Bobwhites migrate up and down […]
In an ironic twist, fall migration coincides with hurricane season. While already aloft on a treacherous flight, if a hurricane crosses a migratory pathway some birds are picked up by these huge weather systems and moved to a location they never expected to be in. In the past few weeks, there have been reports of about 100 […]
Those tiny, 30-gram, brown birds with the enchanting song have more talents than they are typically given credit for. A recent scientific study shows these little birds can anticipate the strength of the upcoming hurricane season, giving them an advantage they sorely need during dangerous and taxing migrations. Research shows that over two decades the birds were […]
Not all birds migrate. But of the roughly 40% who do, different species migrate in different ways, at different times and different distances. Some birds like Bar-tailed Godwits repeatedly set records for the longest sustained flight without any stops – now over 9 days from Alaska to New Zealand! Northern Bobwhites migrate up and down a mountain to […]
Birds are mobile. This makes them often very difficult to keep track of, and in turn, learn more about. Finding out as many details of behavior, populations, nesting and overwintering locations and migratory routes is critical for scientists to know what areas to protect and which birds use them. Enter MOTUS Wildlife Tracking System. Created in 2014 […]