Bird Migration

Ask Kenn: Are American Robins Really a Sign of Spring?
March 28, 2022 — Long considered a harbinger of warmer weather, the robin's seasonal movements are surprisingly complex, writes bird expert Kenn Kaufman.
Bird Questions and Facts
The Klamath Basin’s Water Crisis Is a Growing Disaster for Waterfowl
March 11, 2022 — Some of the continent’s most important wetland habitat is drying up. Without urgent action, we may be witnessing the death of a flyway.
Essays
A Magnetic ‘Stop Sign’ Tells These Birds Where to Nest
January 27, 2022 — Nearly eight decades of banding data help dissect how songbirds return to the same breeding territory year after year.
Bird Science
An aerial view of the Seal River Watershed.
An Indigenous Alliance Rallies to Conserve the Summer Home of Millions of Birds
November 30, 2021 — The Sayisi Dene and their Cree, Dene, and Inuit neighbors are surveying the remote avian habitats of the Seal River Watershed to help support their case for permanent protection.
Conservation News
You Found a Bird That Crashed Into a Window. Now What?
November 18, 2021 — Building strikes are an unfortunately common occurrence, especially during migration season. Here’s what to do if you find a collision victim.
Bird-friendly Buildings
A Video Captures the Dreadful Toll Window Strikes Take on Migrating Birds
September 16, 2021 — Grisly visuals from New York City show mass bird death, but they're just a glimpse of what happens in cities nationwide.
Conservation Challenges
Pectoral Sandpiper stands on an algae mat.
Pectoral Sandpiper: Supreme Master of Migratory Movement
August 23, 2021 — Less sandpiper, more grasspiper.
Marbled Godwits forage in a wetland.
The Marvel and Mystery of Marbled Godwit Migration
July 22, 2021 — The Subtle Beauty of Shorebirds series, July
Turning Off Lights at Night Could Halve Bird Deaths On Chicago’s Lakeshore
July 06, 2021 — An analysis of more than 11,000 birds struck dead by a single building's windows shows turning lights off during migration makes a big difference.
Bird-friendly Buildings
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.