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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Part of the Bring Birds Back series, in this incisive piece, BirdNote explains why wind farms pose such a massive peril for birds, and the creative ways one leading organization is using artificial intelligence as a game changer to keep birds safe. Don’t miss this BirdNote daily podcast.
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 […]
The mysteries of bird migration may never be completely unraveled. But with new technology, information about birds’ activities — where they nest, overwinter and make stops along the way — are becoming more clear. This is critical information for biologists for the conservation of species. But now it is possible for all of us to see an interactive […]
Every spring and fall we offer suggestions about how to make your yard and community a place birds and other wildlife can flourish. By now we all know the basics – Keep it wild – but naturally so – without invasives! Use native plants that provide year-round food and shelter in layers Use […]
These elegant and graceful songbirds are beloved throughout the Americas for their beauty, ravenous appetite for insects, and charming, chatty, song. Native Americans loved them so much they put out hollow gourds to attract them to nest around their villages. Now, Purple Martins need the communal houses and gourds we put out for them as […]