Red-throated Loon. Richard Aracil/Macaulay Library. eBird S40354041.
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 Gull, Eastern Bluebird, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, and Dark-eyed Junco.
Need a review of our definitions for regions, species on the move, and migration amounts? Please visit this link.
Local light and moderate movements punctuated an otherwise increasingly quiet late season period. Most notable flights occurred on Friday and Monday in the mid Atlantic and Sunday and Wednesday in the Midwest.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Common Goldeneye
211%
6.8
Bufflehead
96%
18.9
Hooded Merganser
102%
13.6
Common Merganser
70%
6.9
Tundra Swan
163%
3.8
Red-breasted Merganser
62%
6.9
Horned Grebe
71%
5.6
Ring-billed Gull
13%
30.1
Red-throated Loon
56%
4.1
Long-tailed Duck
59%
3.8
Common Loon
18%
10.1
Canvasback
70%
1.6
Mallard
9%
35.2
Lesser Scaup
30%
4.4
Ring-necked Duck
17%
6.5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
31%
4
American Black Duck
10%
10
Ruddy Duck
10%
7.9
Horned Lark
15%
2
Snow Bunting
12%
2.3
Redhead
11%
2.9
Belted Kingfisher
6%
11.1
Snow Goose
10%
1.7
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Yellow-rumped Warbler
-51%
9
Chipping Sparrow
-71%
1.9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-61%
4.2
Red-winged Blackbird
-46%
9
Greater Yellowlegs
-71%
1.4
American Robin
-35%
22.5
Wood Duck
-55%
3
Double-crested Cormorant
-38%
12.8
Dunlin
-57%
2.3
Golden-crowned Kinglet
-43%
8.9
White-crowned Sparrow
-66%
1.6
Common Grackle
-48%
4.1
Swamp Sparrow
-45%
4.7
Great Egret
-66%
1.3
Green-winged Teal
-43%
3.9
Turkey Vulture
-34%
10.3
White-throated Sparrow
-20%
23
Song Sparrow
-22%
22
Killdeer
-44%
3.3
Purple Finch
-49%
1.2
Northern Pintail
-44%
2.2
Hermit Thrush
-39%
2.9
American Crow
-9%
41.7
Hooded Merganser. Dan Vickers/Macaulay Library. eBird S40417590.
Gulf Coast and Southeast
Pulse of moderate to locally heavy movements occurred on several occasions during the period, representing arrivals of some of the last pulses of wintering and passage migrants into and through the region. Particularly widespread were movements on Friday night, primarily east of the Mississippi River. Sunday and Wednesday nights saw more westerly distribution of these movements, albeit in lesser intensities. Light to locally moderate movements ended the period, with flights from Texas east through the Atlantic coastal plains.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Hooded Merganser
357%
6
Bufflehead
688%
5.1
Lesser Scaup
269%
6.6
Ring-billed Gull
132%
13.1
Dark-eyed Junco
118%
8.1
Common Loon
227%
3.2
Bonaparte's Gull
253%
2.2
American Robin
44%
15.7
American Goldfinch
54%
11.2
Ring-necked Duck
77%
6.5
Red-breasted Merganser
516%
1.3
Horned Grebe
296%
1.5
Canvasback
172%
1.9
Redhead
89%
3.8
Ruddy Duck
75%
5.2
Hermit Thrush
54%
7.1
Orange-crowned Warbler
45%
10.9
Cedar Waxwing
87%
3.1
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Barn Swallow
-91%
0.4
Gray Catbird
-33%
10.4
Common Grackle
-31%
8.7
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
-69%
0.6
Brown Thrasher
-27%
5.5
Eastern Meadowlark
-21%
5.8
Brown-headed Cowbird
-23%
4
Long-billed Dowitcher
-33%
1.2
Broad-winged Hawk
-73%
0.1
Black-and-white Warbler
-24%
3.3
Indigo Bunting
-34%
1.5
White-faced Ibis
-33%
1.1
Eastern Bluebird. Charlotte Croshaw/Macaulay Library. eBird S40397930.
Great Plains
A quiet start to the weekend eventually yielded to a pulse of moderate flights in the central and southern Plains on Sunday night. A similar pulse occurred on Wednesday night, with slightly greater intensities in the southern Plains. But, aside from flights in these areas, the region was generally quiet from a migration perspective probably at the hands of date of season and multiple passing disturbances with precipitation.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Common Goldeneye
617%
14.6
Horned Grebe
344%
11.2
Bufflehead
147%
19.4
Common Merganser
315%
5.5
Red-breasted Merganser
222%
3.9
Golden-crowned Kinglet
99%
5.7
Lesser Scaup
46%
13.8
Black Scoter
320%
3
Mallard
24%
38.1
Canvasback
51%
8.5
Barrow's Goldeneye
18806%
1.8
Eastern Bluebird
21%
19.3
American Coot
21%
22.2
Carolina Wren
20%
17.1
Wood Duck
76%
3.9
Belted Kingfisher
33%
10.3
Canada Goose
15%
35.7
Cackling Goose
34%
8.3
Common Loon
35%
6.4
Red-shouldered Hawk
48%
4.9
Eared Grebe
57%
2.9
Turkey Vulture
133%
2.8
American Kestrel
20%
11.5
Great Blue Heron
13%
19.7
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
American Wigeon
-50%
4.3
Chipping Sparrow
-68%
1.4
Eastern Meadowlark
-65%
1.8
Killdeer
-46%
6.7
Green-winged Teal
-45%
5.7
Savannah Sparrow
-61%
2.2
Northern Pintail
-49%
3.5
Greater Yellowlegs
-72%
0.7
American Avocet
-93%
0.1
Northern Shoveler
-34%
9
Cooper's Hawk
-51%
2.4
Gadwall
-27%
11.6
Double-crested Cormorant
-20%
17.1
Pine Siskin
-36%
4
American Robin
-17%
26.4
Merlin
-55%
0.9
Wilson's Snipe
-50%
1.3
Marsh Wren
-82%
0.2
Mourning Dove
-21%
11.6
Brant. Paul Fenwick/Macaulay Library. eBird S40459582.
West
The period was generally quiet, with several significant weather systems and the late season date keeping migration at minima. One notable exception, as is typical for the date and the region, occurred in California. Saturday and Tuesday nights saw light to moderate flights in the Central Valley, where movements often continue in similar intensity to these late season dates.