News

Enormous, and growing, numbers of dead birds discovered in the southern Rockies over the past few weeks have alarmed scientists, conservationists, and advocates alike. The massive mortality events may be a result of intense fires in the western US and the smoke that they have produced.

Yes, you read the title right— WHITE-breasted Nuthatches! Long overlooked as a humble resident of forests and feeders across North America, the *other* migrating nuthatch is finally getting deserved recognition for its irruptive travels.

We estimate that more than half a billion birds will take flight tonight from the contiguous US, spanning the central portion of the country from Canada to Mexico.

The active week for tropical systems in the Atlantic Ocean Basin continues, with Hurricane Sally making landfall on the Gulf of Mexico coast. A suite of species like Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, and Brown Noddy is possible at the immediate coast and well inland. Watch live tracking of bird observations after Sally’s landfall.

The BirdCast model is predicting high intensity migration for the night of 14 September 2020. We estimate that 405 million birds will take flight tonight across the lower 48, including 50 million birds in the northeast alone. This will likely represent one of the largest migration nights of the year in this region.

High intensity migration and evolving tropical systems are on deck for this week. We estimate movements 400-500 million birds on each of the coming nights over the continental US. Plus, a very active Atlantic Ocean Basin has a number of tropical systems of the move, entraining and displacing a diversity of birds in the Gulf of Mexico region and Bermuda.

The BirdCast forecast model is predicting high intensity migration this evening, and we estimate this migration will comprise more than 400 million birds. The highest intensity movements will occur in Texas and portions of the southern Appalachians and lower Mississippi River valley.

A major disturbance bringing large temperature drops and snow will move through the northern and central Rockies in the next 48 hours. Local movements of residents and shorter distance migrants are likely as a result, as are concentrations of birds along the frontal boundaries of the cold air mass.

More than 200 million migrants will be aloft this evening over the US. These massive movements present some unique opportunities to experience bird migration and act to protect birds by turning off lights at night!

Nana is approaching the coast of Central America, bringing with it the potential for tropical seabirds and downed overland migrants.

Watch for Wilson’s Warbler, a species on the move right now (and perpetually given this species’ energetic personality), whether you are birding east or west!

You’ve recently watched a small flock of songbirds fly over while watching an autumn morning’s migration unfold, perhaps hearing a sharp “tick, tick… tick, tick” even before seeing the birds. Congratulations, you’ve seen a Purple Finch, this week’s species on the move.