News

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...

With dawn’s arrival today Team BirdCast officially closed the books on another migration season of forecasting where, when, and how many birds will migrate over the contiguous US. Team BirdCast thanks all of you who spent time perusing our forecasts, pondering our interpretations, and (hopefully) ground-truthing our speculations!  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...

Franklin's Gulls may be on the move far to the east of their normal autumn range in the coming 24-72 hours, as an intense storm system continues to move across the country toward the Atlantic Ocean and entrains and displaces individuals and flocks of this long-distance migrant. Observers in northeastern North America should be on the lookout, especially along coastlines, lakeshores, and rivers, from Wednesday through Friday.   Read more...

Spend your spooky Halloween evenings safely enjoying late season bird migration. For the intrepid with no aversion to long nights outside in cold temperatures, direct your optics to the face of the Micro Blue Moon to watch birds pass!  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...

Central Texas birders, drop what you are doing, distance yourselves from others, and go birding! Radars in the area are currently detecting what may be streaming raptors. Tell us what you find!  Read more...

Birders in eastern North America should keep their eyes open, especially in coastal and lakeshore locations, for Cave Swallows this weekend and in the weeks to come. The passage of a strong weather systems, like the cold front moving through the northeastern US today, hearkens the start of a period during which this species can occur, occasionally in significant numbers, far outside of its typical southern ranges.  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...

More than 400 million birds will take flight tonight across the contiguous US tonight, highlighted by large flights in the south central US. Tonight will be one of the last very large flights of the autumn, with a diverse array of species on the move.  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...

BirdCast is thrilled to announce a public service announcement from former First Lady Laura Bush and a proclamation from Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson about the Lights Out Texas initiative to protect nocturnally migrating birds from the hazards of light pollution!  Read more...

More than half a billion birds will take flight tonight across the contiguous US tonight! The BirdCast model is predicting intense migration in many areas of the central and southeastern US in the wake of a passing cold front.  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...

Beta is currently a tropical storm, deteriorating to a tropical depression in the next 36-48 hours. Storm birds will be apparent on the Upper Texas coast from Monday through Wednesday, whereas areas further inland into southwestern and central Louisiana may experience some impacts by Thursday.  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...

Enormous, and growing, numbers of dead birds discovered in the southern Rockies over the past few weeks have alarmed scientists, conservationists, and advocates alike. The massive mortality events may be a result of intense fires in the western US and the smoke that they have produced.  Read more...