Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Denise Hargrove/Macaulay Library. 19 Apr 2016. eBird S29084478
Continental Summary
Light and moderate flights featuring White-faced Ibis, Semipalmated Plover, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Red-faced Warbler, and Western Tanager were frequent in many areas of the West, while the East saw moderate and locally heavy flights featuring Spotted Sandpiper, Chimney Swift, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blackpoll Warbler, Cape May Warbler, and Prairie Warbler in the southerly flow ahead of a frontal boundary.
Curious what birds will move next? Check out our forecast.
Need a review of our definitions for regions, species on the move, and migration amounts? Please visit this link.
Quick Links to Regions
Upper Midwest and Northeast |
Gulf Coast and Southeast |
Great Plains |
West |
Upper Midwest and Northeast
Light to moderate flights occurred in many areas over the first half of the week. However, a passing low pressure center and precipitation associated with it and another upper level disturbance quieted the migration scene by Tuesday night. Southerly flow ahead of an approaching frontal boundary brought more favorable conditions for Wednesday and Thursday, with moderate and locally heavy flights in many areas east of the Ohio River Valley.
Top Movers
Increasing
| Species | Increase from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| House Wren | 526% | 6.6 |
| Chimney Swift | 1120% | 3.2 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 89% | 18.9 |
| Palm Warbler | 116% | 10.2 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 4067% | 1.1 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 249% | 2.7 |
| Blue-headed Vireo | 279% | 3.4 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 74% | 23.7 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 814% | 1.2 |
| Northern Parula | 98% | 5.3 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 55% | 32.7 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 120% | 3.4 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 258% | 2.1 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 198% | 1.7 |
| Wood Thrush | 2208% | 1 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 46% | 35.2 |
| White-eyed Vireo | 131% | 2.9 |
| Prairie Warbler | 199% | 1.7 |
| Indigo Bunting | 6405% | 0.5 |
| Warbling Vireo | 460% | 1 |
| Ovenbird | 240% | 1.6 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 1120% | 1 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | 1968% | 0.7 |
Decreasing
| Species | Decrease from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Fox Sparrow | -84% | 0.8 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | -62% | 4.2 |
| Horned Grebe | -66% | 1.4 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | -47% | 15.6 |
| American Tree Sparrow | -52% | 2.8 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | -44% | 5.9 |
| Ring-necked Duck | -43% | 4.3 |
| Bufflehead | -41% | 6.8 |
| Common Merganser | -44% | 3.2 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | -42% | 3.5 |
| Brown Creeper | -42% | 4.7 |
| Bonaparte's Gull | -44% | 2.6 |
| Hooded Merganser | -40% | 3.3 |
| Lesser Scaup | -42% | 2.6 |
| Common Loon | -32% | 4.8 |
| Ruddy Duck | -43% | 2.8 |
| Northern Shoveler | -33% | 5.3 |
| Common Goldeneye | -53% | 0.7 |
| Green-winged Teal | -30% | 5.3 |
| American Wigeon | -39% | 1.6 |
| Gadwall | -34% | 3 |
| Northern Gannet | -42% | 0.5 |
| Canvasback | -49% | 0.3 |
| Redhead | -38% | 1.4 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | -28% | 7.2 |
Dickcissel. Tatiana Botero J/Macaulay Library. 7 Apr 2016. eBird S28812702
Gulf Coast and Southeast
Moderate to locally heavy flights were scattered across the region for the weekend and first half of the workweek. Then, after soaking and intense rain associated with a very slow moving front continued east, a large exodus of moderate to heavy intensity occurred on Tuesday night. Similarly extensive albeit less intense movements occurred the following nights, with particularly heavy flights in portions of Texas, Florida, and parts of the Carolinas.
Top Movers
Increasing
| Species | Increase from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Blackpoll Warbler | 386% | 7.6 |
| Cape May Warbler | 221% | 6.2 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 165% | 4.8 |
| Dickcissel | 407% | 2.5 |
| Yellow Warbler | 134% | 3.6 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 72% | 8.2 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | 180% | 1.8 |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 76% | 4.1 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 47% | 7.1 |
| Ovenbird | 59% | 7.2 |
| Western Kingbird | 91% | 2.8 |
| Bobolink | 231% | 0.8 |
| Common Nighthawk | 46% | 3.5 |
| Veery | 77% | 1.6 |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 56% | 3.4 |
| Indigo Bunting | 25% | 17 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 74% | 1.9 |
| Gray Kingbird | 132% | 1.3 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | 43% | 2.2 |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | 3528% | 0.4 |
| American Redstart | 26% | 6.7 |
| Blackburnian Warbler | 44% | 2.2 |
| Magnolia Warbler | 106% | 1.1 |
Decreasing
| Species | Decrease from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| American Golden-Plover | -64% | 0.7 |
| Hermit Thrush | -54% | 1.3 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | -32% | 9.5 |
| Green-winged Teal | -69% | 0.4 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | -67% | 0.5 |
| Swamp Sparrow | -34% | 3 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | -64% | 0.5 |
| Redhead | -46% | 1.1 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | -27% | 4.2 |
| Tree Swallow | -25% | 8.1 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | -24% | 6.7 |
| Blue-winged Teal | -21% | 12 |
| Gadwall | -44% | 1 |
| American Coot | -18% | 10.1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | -22% | 6.5 |
| Northern Shoveler | -24% | 2.8 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | -16% | 14.7 |
| Northern Harrier | -29% | 1.9 |
| Bufflehead | -88% | 0.1 |
| Lesser Scaup | -46% | 0.7 |
| Osprey | -16% | 14.2 |
| Turkey Vulture | -12% | 25.3 |
| Wilson's Snipe | -35% | 1.1 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | -31% | 1.3 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | -15% | 16 |
Solitary Sandpiper. Dale Trexel/Macaulay Library. 20 Apr 2016. eBird S29096022.
Great Plains
A slow moving frontal boundary crossing the region, and its unfavorable winds and precipitation, generally kept the migration scene quiet until Tuesday night, other than locally light flights where conditions were marginally more favorable for migration. Moderate flights resumed in the northern Plains on Tuesday night, in slightly more favorable migration conditions. Similarly, Wednesday night saw more extensive moderate flights, including in the northern and southern Plains states, as low pressure continued to move farther out of the region. However, upon the low’s departure from the region, a wave of cooler air kept movements light other than highly localized moderate flights along the Canadian border and in Oklahoma.
Top Movers
Increasing
| Species | Increase from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Spotted Sandpiper | 159% | 9.3 |
| Chimney Swift | 623% | 4.4 |
| Warbling Vireo | 625% | 3.6 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | 121% | 7.9 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 265% | 4 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 71% | 18.9 |
| Swainson's Thrush | 1273% | 2 |
| House Wren | 97% | 5.4 |
| Forster's Tern | 194% | 4.2 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 53% | 33 |
| Solitary Sandpiper | 159% | 3.2 |
| Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | 55% | 11 |
| Lark Sparrow | 56% | 8.4 |
| Barn Swallow | 43% | 17.5 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 230% | 1.5 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 75% | 2.8 |
| Hermit Thrush | 85% | 3.4 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 3032% | 1 |
| Brown Thrasher | 31% | 17.2 |
| Cliff Swallow | 39% | 8.8 |
Decreasing
| Species | Decrease from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Dark-eyed Junco | -42% | 7.2 |
| Baird's Sandpiper | -48% | 4.5 |
| Green-winged Teal | -35% | 8.1 |
| Snowy Plover | -69% | 0.5 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | -37% | 7.4 |
| Snow Goose | -64% | 0.7 |
| Northern Shoveler | -28% | 21.5 |
| Least Sandpiper | -44% | 2.4 |
| Northern Harrier | -24% | 6 |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | -88% | 0.1 |
| American Golden-Plover | -47% | 1 |
| American Wigeon | -23% | 6.7 |
| Fox Sparrow | -32% | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -38% | 1.2 |
| Horned Lark | -20% | 8.4 |
| American Tree Sparrow | -63% | 0.6 |
| Turkey Vulture | -14% | 30.2 |
| Great Blue Heron | -17% | 22.8 |
| Gadwall | -13% | 14.4 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | -9% | 18.9 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | -32% | 3.3 |
| Common Goldeneye | -62% | 0.5 |
| Surf Scoter | -64% | 0.1 |
| Eared Grebe | -16% | 3.1 |
Red-faced Warbler. William Higgins/Macaulay Library. 18 Apr 2016. eBird S29048379.
West
Light and moderate flights were the norm for many areas west of the Rockies and in the Desert Southwest for the period. The Pacific Coast saw action for many nights early in the period, including moderate and locally heavy flights in California on the weekend. Some scattered precipitation, particularly in eastern and northern mountainous regions, kept movements light where it fell. The most extensive movements of the period were Wednesday and Thursday nights, when light to moderate flights occurred from California east through the central Rockies.
Top Movers
Increasing
| Species | Increase from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Western Tanager | 163% | 2.4 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 52% | 11 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 80% | 2.9 |
| Summer Tanager | 121% | 1.6 |
| Wilson's Warbler | 41% | 8.9 |
| Western Sandpiper | 46% | 4.8 |
| American Avocet | 34% | 8.4 |
| White-faced Ibis | 40% | 4.4 |
| Least Sandpiper | 32% | 6.5 |
| Western Kingbird | 37% | 7.8 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 49% | 2.8 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 30% | 7.1 |
| Lazuli Bunting | 57% | 2 |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | 31% | 6.9 |
| American Goldfinch | 28% | 11.9 |
| Western Wood-Pewee | 172% | 0.7 |
| Purple Martin | 74% | 1.3 |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | 33% | 4.3 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | 295% | 0.5 |
| Violet-green Swallow | 21% | 14.4 |
| Red-faced Warbler | 799% | 0.4 |
| Barn Swallow | 19% | 14 |
| Solitary Sandpiper | 106% | 0.9 |
| Lark Sparrow | 32% | 3.3 |
Decreasing
| Species | Decrease from Last Week | % of Checklists Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Townsend's Solitaire | -24% | 1.3 |
| Varied Thrush | -51% | 0.4 |
| Black-tailed Gnatcatcher | -35% | 0.9 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | -17% | 3.4 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | -13% | 23.2 |
| Common Goldeneye | -23% | 2.7 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | -16% | 6.3 |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | -12% | 8.2 |
| Greater Scaup | -20% | 1.4 |
| Fox Sparrow | -25% | 1.1 |
| Ring-necked Duck | -9% | 7.4 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | -39% | 0.2 |
| Broad-billed Hummingbird | -15% | 1.6 |
| American Wigeon | -8% | 9.7 |
| Williamson's Sapsucker | -34% | 0.3 |
| Northern Harrier | -8% | 6.5 |
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Farnsworth and Van Doren
