Migratory Bird Initiative

Five Incredible Ways Birds Change Their Bodies for Spring and Fall Migration
April 09, 2021 — To power perilous journeys, birds undergo extreme feats like doubling their body weight and rearranging or even consuming their internal organs.
News
A Tale of Two Migration Routes: How Prothonotary Warblers Make Their Way Home
March 25, 2021 — Using tiny tracking devices, researcher Chris Tonra and the Prothonotary Warbler Working Group are informing key conservation efforts.
Tracking a Migratory Scientist: From Banding Birds to Global Bird Conservation
March 09, 2021 — Amy Scarpignato’s extensive career as a field technician became her biggest asset in the race to protect migratory birds.
Keeping Track of These Boreal Nomads Is Notoriously Difficult
March 02, 2021 — The irregular irruptions of winter finches inspire both delight and bewilderment among migration scientists.
Boreal Forests
Tens of Millions of Western Birds Depend on These Two Regions During Migration
January 26, 2021 — California’s Central Valley and the Colorado River Delta are critical stopover sites for dozens of migrant species, according to new research.
News
Audubon Scientists Reveal Migration Bottlenecks Used by Tens of Millions of Birds
January 26, 2021 — New study details how California’s Central Valley and the Colorado River Delta in Mexico provide food and shelter for globally significant numbers of migratory birds.
Artificial Lighting May Shift Bird Migration by More Than a Week, New Research Says
January 14, 2021 — Purple Martins exposed to bright nighttime light migrated eight days early—which could lead to starvation at their breeding grounds.
Science
Where Will Rocky the Northern Saw-whet Owl Spend the Holidays?
December 22, 2020 — To learn where the beloved Rockefeller Center Christmas tree owl will go for the winter, Audubon's Migratory Bird Initiative spoke to owl researcher Sean Beckett.
New Study Finds Humboldt Bay is Among the Most Important Places in the Entire Hemisphere for Migratory Shorebirds
December 07, 2020 — Its intertidal mudflats crowded with migratory shorebirds each year, this California bay is threatened by the aquaculture industry.
Coasts and Oceans
As American Kestrels Mysteriously Decline, Researchers Look to Their Migration for Clues
November 20, 2020 — We still don't know a lot about the migration of North America's smallest falcon, but these scientists are using tracking technology that will help inform their conservation.