News: Species on the Move

As the calendar page turns to March, the BirdCast team opens the spring 2021 migration forecasting season with the return of forecast and live migration maps! Birds are already on the move and have been for many weeks, but number have been increasing, particularly in the southeastern US last night. Read on to check on what species might be on the move in your part of the country.  Read more...

Welcome to 2021! Team BirdCast has a number of projects underway for this year. And although we are still a good 4-6 weeks from the first significant movements of mid to late winter migrants moving in the US, keen observers should be aware of several patterns to watch now.  Read more...

During Fall 2020 a “superflight of finches” occurred in the eastern US, featuring the biggest Evening Grosbeak migration in more than 20 years, redpolls undergoing their largest movement in perhaps a decade, and Pine Siskins irrupting in their best numbers since 2008. These ‘Finch Superflights’, which are defined as southern flights of all eight eastern irruptive finches, are rare, and this year, conditions have aligned and all species have moved in numbers, including the rarest of irruptives, the Pine Grosbeak.  Read more...

Numerous storm-driven birds have likely appeared in peninsular Florida as the meandering Tropical Storm Eta churns in the Gulf of Mexico. With the forecast for the storm to make landfall and move quickly off into the Atlantic Ocean in the coming 24 hours, safe and careful observers may find a range of Gulf of Mexico seabirds and some displaced waterbirds.  Read more...

Hurricane Zeta is powering toward the Louisiana coast, predicted to make landfall on Wednesday afternoon. This storm will certainly entrain Gulf of Mexico seabirds, as well as displacing some nearer shore species inland and dropping overland migrants. Given the storm's arrival time, predicted track and speed, birders from the Louisiana coast to Cape May, NJ should keep safe, socially distanced, and watchful eyes on all bodies of water and your favorite birding patches.  Read more...

Easterly flow in the North Atlantic has the potential to bring European species into northeastern North America in the coming days. Marginal to favorable conditions for such displacement are predicted for the coming days, so birders should watch their favorite patches closely.  Read more...

Hurricane Delta is a powerful storm predicted to make landfall late on Friday on the Louisiana coast. Gulf of Mexico seabirds, as well as some nearer shore species and overland migrants, will be associated with the arrival and passage of the storm as it moves inland to the north and east.  Read more...

The BirdCast model is predicting high intensity migration this evening, with more than half a billion birds on the move! And there will be additional, similarly large flights, in the coming nights! This will likely represent one of the largest series of migration nights of the year in the contiguous US.  Read more...

At this point you have heard the stories for the west about bird mortality, but perhaps you have not heard the stories about species on the move out of the mountains. BirdCast will feature evolving stories about eruptions from higher elevations, and this week we highlight Mountain Chickadee.  Read more...

Hurricane Teddy is arriving soon in Atlantic Canada. A significant diversity of tropical seabirds may arrive with it in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and possibly even Greenland.  Read more...

Strong northeasterly winds in the western North Atlantic may hearken the arrival of small (very small) numbers of Northern Wheatears in eastern North America. Several have been reported in the last days, will more arrive soon?  Read more...

Yes, you read the title right— WHITE-breasted Nuthatches! Long overlooked as a humble resident of forests and feeders across North America, the *other* migrating nuthatch is finally getting deserved recognition for its irruptive travels.  Read more...

The BirdCast model is predicting high intensity migration for the night of 14 September 2020. We estimate that 405 million birds will take flight tonight across the lower 48, including 50 million birds in the northeast alone. This will likely represent one of the largest migration nights of the year in this region.  Read more...

The BirdCast forecast model is predicting high intensity migration this evening, and we estimate this migration will comprise more than 400 million birds. The highest intensity movements will occur in Texas and portions of the southern Appalachians and lower Mississippi River valley.  Read more...

More than 200 million migrants will be aloft this evening over the US. These massive movements present some unique opportunities to experience bird migration and act to protect birds by turning off lights at night!  Read more...

Watch for Wilson's Warbler, a species on the move right now (and perpetually given this species' energetic personality), whether you are birding east or west!  Read more...

You've recently watched a small flock of songbirds fly over while watching an autumn morning's migration unfold, perhaps hearing a sharp "tick, tick... tick, tick" even before seeing the birds. Congratulations, you've seen a Purple Finch, this week's species on the move.   Read more...

Could recent August observations of Red-breasted Nuthatch in coastal New York represent the beginning of another strong southbound flight of the species this autumn and winter? Read on to consider patterns, correlations, and ways you can help us understand these movements by submitting your observations!  Read more...

We are nearing a seasonal window during which many records of Fork-tailed Flycatcher, a spectacular and elegant vagrant to the US from South America, have occurred. The BirdCast team thought you might like to know that conditions could be favorable for the arrival of this wandering species somewhere in the US ... maybe.  Read more...

We are nearing the window of peak migration through the US, and many species are on the move!  Read more...