Birds Blown Off Course During Migration

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 […]

Can a Veery Predict the Hurricane Season?

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 […]

The Weirdly Different Styles of Bird Migration

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 […]

What Is MOTUS Wildife Tracking?

    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 […]

Migration Made Visible

  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 […]

Need Help Creating Habitat for Birds?

    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 […]

The Problem With Purple Martins In The Amazon

  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 […]