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.
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.
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.
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.
ÃÛèÖAPP 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.
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, ÃÛèÖAPP'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.
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.
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