Migratory Bird Initiative

Using the best available migration science to protect birds and the places they need across their full annual life cycles.

The mission of the Migratory Bird Initiative is to secure the future of migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere by reducing direct threats and protecting key places across the Americas in coordination with science, conservation and policy partners.

The Initiative brings together the latest spatial information on species distributions and movements across their annual cycles to identify priority areas for 458 species of migratory birds that regularly occur in the United States and Canada. We will use this information to define where and how to focus ÃÛèÖAPP’s conservation investments in order to protect, restore and manage key habitat and also mitigate threats along full migratory pathways for these species.

ÃÛèÖAPP expects to achieve these goals by 1) consolidating and elevating the best-available migration science, filling research gaps and identifying real-time threats throughout annual cycle; 2) strengthening connections and cooperation among key stakeholders such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions and the ÃÛèÖAPP network, and 3) informing policy advocacy at the local, state and federal level to drive science-based conservation.

Migratory birds face threats during all stages of the annual cycle, and these threats are accelerating. Fortunately, scientific data, particularly during migration, are accumulating; however, we need to act swiftly and collectively to protect birds and the places they need before the opportunities to do so disappear. Partnerships will be central to the success of the Migratory Bird Initiative, and ÃÛèÖAPP looks forward to building and strengthening relationships with other key research and conservation organizations.

If you are a researcher and would like to contribute data to ÃÛèÖAPP's Migratory Bird Initiative, please fill out this . If you would like to contact us for more information, please email migratorybirds@audubon.org

The Bird Migration Explorer is your guide to the heroic annual journeys made by over 450 bird species, and the challenges they face along the way.

Learn more about a species, the migratory birds at a specific location, or a conservation challenge birds face.

Our Migratory Bird Initiative Staff

Chad Wilsey

Vice President and Chief Scientist

Jill Deppe

Jill Deppe

Senior Director, Migratory Bird Initiative

Melanie Smith

Melanie A. Smith

Director, Digital Science & Data Products

Nat Seavy

Nat Seavy

Director of Migration Science, Migratory Bird Initiative, ÃÛèÖAPP

Erika Knight

Erika Knight

GIS and Data Science Specialist

Chad Witko

Chad Witko

Senior Coordinator, Avian Biology

Bill DeLuca

William DeLuca

Senior Manager, Migration Ecology

Nicolas Gonzalez

Senior Communications Manager, Migration Science

Migratory Bird News

Remember that ÃÛèÖAPP depends on your support to do the conservation work that we do.
ÃÛèÖAPP Scientists Develop New Method to Improve Mapping of Bird Migrations
June 01, 2022 — Four dozen co-authors from leading bird and wildlife organizations use novel approach to better identify the places migratory birds need along their perilous journeys.
A Virtual Wild Goose Chase Like No Other
April 21, 2022 — A leader of ÃÛèÖAPP's Migratory Bird Initiative details her incredible chance encounter with one unlucky goose's GPS tracker.
BirdLife International Takes A Global Approach to Conservation
April 17, 2022 — This wide-ranging partnership of more than 100 conservation groups protects birds across our borders.
The Bird Genoscape Project Uses Genetic Variation to Inform Conservation
April 14, 2022 — Researchers use feathers and blood samples to better understand how migratory birds are connected across their ranges.
Wandering Spoonbills Tell Us What We Need to Protect the Everglades
February 17, 2022 — Jerry Lorenz of ÃÛèÖAPP Florida tracked this species to shed light on how the iconic "River of Grass" is changing, for better or worse.
EPA Restores Clean Water Act Protections for Important Wetlands along Mississippi River
November 17, 2021 — By blocking the destructive and ineffective Yazoo Pumps project, the EPA can protect bird habitat while also supporting alternative flood control measures for the region.
How Gray Catbirds and Yellow-breasted Chats Help Bridge Cultural Barriers
October 15, 2021 — In order to learn more about the migration of Yellow-breasted Chats and Gray Catbirds that breed in Canada's Okanagan Valley, Kristen Mancuso forged connections with multiple First Nation communities.
The Connecticut Warbler Connects Threatened Forest Habitat on Two Different Continents
October 07, 2021 — New migration research suggests that supporting Indigenous-led Boreal Forest stewardship in Canada as well as local conservation efforts in Latin America will be key to protecting one of our most elusive songbirds.
ÃÛèÖAPP Spotlight: Erika Knight Charted Her Path One Precise Step at a Time
September 22, 2021 — How the GIS expert and data analyst turned a passion for maps and the outdoors into a career in conservation.
Lotem Taylor during a hike through Glacier National Park in 2017. Moriah Taylor
ÃÛèÖAPP Spotlight: Lotem Taylor is Everywhere in ÃÛèÖAPP
April 27, 2021 — For a GIS and data analyst for ÃÛèÖAPP’s Migratory Bird Initiative and Science team, placing yourself in context with your surroundings is what makes mapping so powerful.
Featured Migratory Birds in ÃÛèÖAPP Field Guide
American White Pelican
Pelicans
! Priority Bird
Bald Eagle
Hawks and Eagles
Blackpoll Warbler
Wood Warblers
! Priority Bird
Black Skimmer
Gulls and Terns
Broad-winged Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Eared Grebe
Grebes
Golden Eagle
Hawks and Eagles
! Priority Bird
Long-billed Curlew
Sandpipers
Painted Bunting
Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings
Rufous Hummingbird
Hummingbirds
Whimbrel
Sandpipers
! Priority Bird
Wood Thrush
Thrushes