News: Forecast and Analysis

Most of the movement in the West this period occur this weekend and early in the week, with light to moderate movements that will see increasing arrivals of Osprey, Rufous Hummingbird, Bell's Vireo, and Hooded Oriole, while the East will experience the greatest intensity and extent of moderate movements from Monday through Thursday with increasing arrivals of Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, American Golden-Plover, Belted Kingfisher, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Song Sparrow.   Read more...

Light to moderate migration, primarily in California and the Desert Southwest early in the period, brought increasing numbers of Bell's Vireo, Lucy's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Bullock's Oriole to the West, while slightly more extensive light to moderate movements on Sunday and Monday nights, including Blue-winged Teal, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Tree Swallow, and Pine Warbler among other migrants, highlighted the period in the East.  Read more...

Continental Summary Weekend birders can look forward to widespread light to moderate movements across the West, while Monday through Wednesday brings similarly widespread light to moderate flights in the East. Species on the move this week will include Blue-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, Eastern Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Lucy’s Warbler, and Hooded Warbler. Arrows show […]  Read more...

Continental Summary In light to moderate migration Mountain Bluebird, Hooded Oriole, Barn Swallow, and Lucy’s Warbler were on the move last weekend in the West, while Wood Duck, Killdeer, American Woodcock, and Northern Parula composed mid to late week flights in the East. West Light to moderate movements were the norm across the Desert Southwest and California to […]  Read more...

Although winter’s clutches continue to grip some parts of the country, signs of early spring movements and those to come later are appearing daily. For example, Northern Parulas are right on time in the southeastern US, as seen in the image below showing the daily changes in the frequencies of occurrence for these species from complete […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A few moderate movements in the East highlighted an otherwise quiet part for migration across the nation, as large scale and diverse movements for this season are long gone. Species on the move this week included Snow Goose, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Blue Jay, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Common Grackle, Rusty Blackbird, American […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Late season movements in the West will be sparse, but more widespread light to moderate movements occur in the East during an extended period of favorable conditions. Species on the move this week will include Tundra Swan, Snow Goose, Brant, Cackling Goose, Canvasback, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, American Pipit, and American Tree Sparrow. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Primarily light movements in the West highlighted the late date of the migration season, as two pulses of widespread moderate movements bookended the period in the East. Species on the move this week included numerous waterfowl, Herring Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, and American Tree Sparrow. West Local light to moderate movements early in the […]  Read more...

Continental Summary While the West will continue with scattered light to moderate movements, passing strong low pressure systems bring late season moderate and heavy pulses of migration to the East. Species on the move this week will include Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Snow Bunting, American Tree Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Scattered light to moderate movements in the West stood in stark contrast to some massive movements in the East, particularly along the Atlantic Coast. Species on the move this week included Gadwall, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, American Coot, Wilson’s Snipe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Moderate to heavy movements occur in several pulses this week, though primarily at more local than regional scales, as storm systems exit the Northeast over the weekend and pass through the Great Plains and Upper Midwest over the course of the week. Species on the move this week will include Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A week of primarily light to moderate movements in the West and South were most certainly outdone by some very large and heavy movements in the Northeast. Species on the move this week included Brant, Black Scoter, Bonaparte’s Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. West Scattered […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A week of scattered light movement in the West will stand in stark contrast to moderate to heavy flights for much of the week in the East. Species on the move this week will include Tundra Swan, Gadwall, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Hooded Merganser, Sandhill Crane, Hermit Thrush, Snow Bunting, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary The Desert Southwest saw most of the light to moderate action this week in the West, while the East experienced two frontal passage-induced moderate to heavy flights. Species on the move this week included Cackling Goose, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Western Grebe, Red-naped Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. West Light […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Light to moderate movements occur early in the forecast period across the West before unfavorable conditions arrive for the remainder of the week, while two pulses of moderate to heavy movements follow passing frontal boundaries in the East. Species on the move this week will include Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Bonaparte’s Gull, Short-eared Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Widespread light to moderate movements diminished gradually over the forecast period in the West, while several pulses of moderate to heavy movements graced the East. Species on the move this week included American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sprague’s Pipit, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Le Conte’s […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Favorable conditions for light to moderate movements are pervasive in the West, while major movements in the East occur primarily over the weekend. Species on the move this week will include Brant, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Harris’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Widespread light to moderate movements occurred in both West and East, with some heavy and very heavy movements occurring more locally in space and time in the Plains to end the period. Species on the move this week included  Snow Goose, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Varied Thrush, Gray Catbird,Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Palm […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Favorable conditions at the end of the forecast period bring widespread light to moderate movements to the West and moderate to heavy movements to the Plains, while increasingly scattered moderate movements occur in the East in more summer-like conditions. Species on the move this week will include Cackling, Snow, and Great White-fronted Geese, American […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Moderate movements in the West that kicked off the weekend continued through the period in some areas, while a major pulse of heavy flights graced the East early in the period. Species on the move this week included Greater White-fronted and Cackling Geese, Northern Pintail, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Peregrine Falcon, Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s and Hermit […]  Read more...