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Team BirdCast highlights some relationships between migration and weather that could explain why our migration models predict migration in certain areas and not in others. Let’s take a quick look at the migration forecast for the night of 28-29 March 2018.

For our inaugural automated migration forecast and live migration map analysis post, let’s take a quick look to see how the maps compare!

BirdCast has been working toward automatically predicting and analyzing bird migration across the continental US, and we now unveil automated forecast maps and live migration maps. Welcome to the future of migration monitoring, please explore the new visuals and tune in frequently for discussion about movements!

Birders in northeastern North America should watch for Northern Lapwing, among other European vagrants, as low pressure over the North Atlantic couples with easterly flow associated with the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation and cold, snowy conditions in western Europe.

With an unusual period of cold and snowy weather in western Europe, trans Atlantic movements of species like Northern Lapwing are possible. In keeping with previous discussions we have posted about this topic, BirdCast briefly discusses the potential for European vagrants to arrive in North America.

Local light to moderate flights were scattered across the West and feature numerous waterfowl in this late season period, while the pulses of moderate flights in the Great Plains and Southeast featured many species of waterfowl, Turkey Vulture, Bonaparte’s Gull, Eastern Bluebird, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, and Dark-eyed Junco. Please join us throughout the winter for updates and alerts in advance of the first regular spring season forecasts and analyses in March 2018.

Continental Summary
Local light to moderate flights were scattered across the West and feature numerous waterfowl in this late season period, while the pulses of moderate flights in the Great Plains and Southeast featured many species of waterfowl, Turkey Vulture, Bonaparte’s…

Primarily unfavorable migration conditions in the West, coupled with the late date in the fall migration season, will allow for only local light movements featuring Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Sandhill Crane, Say’s Phoebe, Varied Thrush, and American Pipit, while several pulses of energy moving through the East will bring favorable migration conditions that feature moderate to locally heavy movements of Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Tundra Swan, Common Loon, American Bittern, Bonaparte’s Gull, American Kestrel, and Hermit Thrush.

Continental Summary
Primarily unfavorable migration conditions in the West, coupled with the late date in the fall migration season, will allow for only local light movements featuring Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Sandhill Crane, Say’s Phoebe, Varied…

Local light and moderate flights were the norm in the West featuring Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Trumpeter Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull, Snowy Owl, American Kestrel, and Horned Lark, while moderate and heavy flights occurred in numerous areas of the East featuring Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Hooded, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, Tundra Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull, Snow Bunting, and American Tree Sparrow.

Continental Summary
Local light and moderate flights were the norm in the West featuring Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Trumpeter Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull, Snowy Owl, American Kestrel, and Horned Lark, while moderate and heavy flights occurred in numerous areas of the East…

Marginal and favorable migration conditions for light to moderate flights are scattered across the West for the middle of the period and will feature White-winged Scoter, Common Loon, Clark’s Grebe, California Gull, Merlin, American Pipit, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, while a major pulse of moderate to heavy flights in favorable migration conditions for the East will feature Greater White-fronted Goose, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Vesper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Red-winged Blackbird.