Showcasing the Spectacle of Bird Migration

Curious about when, where, and how far birds migrate? Want to watch migration in your area as it happens? Find all this and more...

Explore Migration Tools

MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MIGRANTS | © Charley Harper Art Studio | Used with Permission

Mission

We use weather radar to detect and predict the numbers and flight directions of migrating birds aloft to support bird conservation and expand our understanding of migratory bird movement.

Migration Tools

Active from March 1 – June 15 and August 1 – November 15

Live Migration Maps

Black base heat map showing density of live migrating birds on an example day. Arrows show direction birds are moving.

Watch how much, where, and when migration is occurring in real-time.

Migration Forecast Maps

Without showing direction of movement, heat map shows forecasted density of migrating birds on an example evening.

Be prepared for how much, where, and when bird migration will occur.

Local Migration Alerts

Image shows red alert triangles on a section of a map of the U.S.

Learn when intense bird migration will occur near you in any city in the contiguous U.S.

_{Email alert sign-ups available in 216 U.S. cities}

Your Local Dashboard

Image shows a fluctuating graph over a period of time, indicating a multi-period set of data.

Explore a detailed breakdown of nocturnal bird migration in your county and state.

_{Currently only available for the contiguous U.S., here is why}

News

March 18, 2026BirdCast Email Migration Alerts now available in 216 cities
March 1, 2026Spring Migration 2026 Begins – With a Fresh New Look
February 12, 2026Photometrics AI Integrates Data from Bird Migration Forecasts to Automatically Dim Streetlights to Protect Birds
October 8, 2025A new record night of migration for BirdCast! AGAIN!
September 25, 2025Migration Celebration at Cornell Lab: We have a winner!
October 7, 2024Hurricane Milton: an intense and dangerous storm
September 24, 2024Entrained and displaced birds of Hurricane Helene
September 20, 2024Species to watch: Northern Wheatear
September 12, 2024A primer for using weather surveillance radar to study bird migration
September 11, 2024Entrained and displaced birds associated with the passage of Francine
August 8, 2024Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Debby: entrained, displaced, and downed birds in the eastern US
April 12, 2024Revisiting 2017, Part 2: What Did Birds & Insects Do During the 2017 Solar Eclipse?

View News Archives

Learn the Science Behind…

Radar Ornithology

Image shows one depiction of radar detecting migrating birds.

Broader information about the history, functionality, and uses of radar technology.

Radar Ornithology

Bird Migration

Details on the ecology, biology, and study of avian migration.

Bird Migration

Publications

Image shows a black base map of the continental U.S. with blue blobs indicating radar detection of migrating birds.

BirdCast has been mentioned in over 100+ publications since its creation.

Key Publications

Help Protect Migratory Birds

Every spring and fall, billions of birds migrate through the US. Over 80% of migratory species in North America migrate at night. Along their migration route lies a deadly combination: artificial light and glass. Learn what you can do to help by clicking below.

Protect Birds!

Scientific Team

BirdCast is made possible by the participating scientists at the below institutions, and many other contributors.

See More Contributors