Hi there. I have been birding most of my life and am currently a grad student working on a bird migration study. "A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."
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Check out all of the songbirds migrating last night!
Each of the fuzzy blue “orbs” on the radar image represent thousands of songbirds such as warblers, vireos, and thrushes!
Snow-Goose-Blast-Off
(by ThomasChamberlin)
Redhead ( Pair)
(by Terrytoasteater)
Tundra Swans
(by Terrytoasteater)
It appears that most Blackpoll Warblers from both eastern and western breeding populations leave North America in fall along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. They depart after cold fronts during periods of northwest winds in October, which help push them southeast over the ocean to the tropics south of Bermuda, where northeast trade winds deflect them south to South America. This entails a nonstop flight of up to 3,500 km (2,175 miles) and 88 hours. Studies have shown that this species has an exceptional ability to accumulate and retain fat, apparently an adaptation for such sustained flights. (via Boreal Songbird Initiative : Blackpoll Warbler)
Amazing birds^
It is a really good night for bird movement if you live in the Northeast. A warm front is coming through from the south and will be bringing birds with it. Most songbirds migrate at night, so expect plenty of birds tomorrow morning! I will be up bright and early, happy birding. :)
Wednesday May 2nd // Filed under: birding, yay, migration, spring,Sparrow migration tracked for first time from California to Alaska
ScienceDaily (Apr. 11, 2012) — Using tiny tags to track a bird’s location, biologists from PRBO Conservation Science (PRBO) have unlocked the mystery of where Golden-crowned Sparrows, which overwinter in California, go to breed in the spring. Published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, the study reveals for the first time the exact migration route of this small songbird to its breeding sites in coastal Alaska.
During a time when birds are experiencing the negative impacts of climate and land-use changes, being able to pinpoint the most important breeding and stopover places is critical to prioritizing conservation investments.
Whooping crane migration given green light by FAA
A flock of birds will complete its inaugural winter migration after the agency lifted restrictions on the pilots, who will guide them wearing bird costumes.
are both immense and complex. Whether migrating short
or long distances, within or between continents, or to
reach wintering or breeding sites, migratory songbirds
must navigate across diverse landscapes, often facing
large ecological barriers and adverse weather conditions,
to reach habitats appropriate for their needs; indeed,
many individuals are capable of migrating to the same
breeding site and/or wintering site year after year. Such
navigational feats impress amateur birders, naturalists,
and scientists alike, and beg for questions about how
small birds, often weighing only a few grams or tens of
grams, manage to find their way.
Deutschlander, M.E. and R. Muheim from “Magnetic orientation in migratory songbirds.”
Juvenile Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni). This photo was taken by a birder in my area and the hawk was well outside of its range here in Western NY. I actually observed this bird twice as it was twenty minutes from where I live. Unfortunately, the bird was struck and killed by a car as it had been regularly seen sitting in the median of a busy parkway for several days. Many birders were drawn to the area and several witnessed the hawk’s demise. The specimen was sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
(by loonographer)
Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) Family: Sternidae
The Arctic Tern is famous for its migration; it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. This 19,000 km (12,000 mi) journey each way (measured point to point) ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet.
The average Arctic Tern lives about twenty years, and will travel about 2.4 million km (1.5 million mi) in its lifetime. Arctic Terns usually migrate far offshore and consequently, they are rarely seen from land outside the breeding season.
