Bird migration forecasts in real-time
When, where, and how far will birds migrate? Our migration forecasts will answer these questions for the first time.
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Migration tools
Bird migration forecast maps
Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts. Learn more
Local bird migration alerts
Search with our local migration alert tool to determine whether birds are passing overhead near your city tonight! Learn more
Live bird migration maps
See real-time analysis maps of intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration, as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network between local sunset to sunrise. Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produces these maps.
Play live bird migration maps
Recent news
BirdCast is deeply disturbed by the mass bird collision events that occurred earlier this week in Manhattan. Light pollution and poor flying conditions on a night of intense migration contributed to these events. There are essentials actions we can take to prevent these types of events: turning off all non-essential lights, especially during migration periods, to reduce birds' attraction to and disorientation by them, and making buildings bird friendly. See our recommendations for turning off lights below. Read more
The BirdCast forecast model predicts just over half a billion birds to be flying during peak flight hours tonight! Turn out your lights! Go birding! Read more
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana as a category 4 storm, and its remnants continue to move north and east through the US. Numerous seabirds entrained and displaced by this storm are occurring far inland, and our live map of these observations highlights their distributions. Read more
NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data from Miguel Román, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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BirdCast Partners and Support
BirdCast is a consortium of interdisciplinary researchers, primarily from three organizations at present, with a growing list of collaborators, supporters, and partners. Learn more
Core partners
Core funders
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