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.
It Takes A Hemisphere To Protect A Godwit
May 08, 2020 — As we celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, let’s remember the international cooperation needed to protect birds throughout their full annual cycle, year after year.
Spring Bird Migration and the Indigenous Stewardship That Sustains It
March 13, 2020 — Let's use spring migration to galvanize collective action across the continent.
Celebrating Thirty Years of Partnering for Migratory Bird Conservation
March 10, 2020 — Three decades ago, scientists realized that protecting birds across their full annual cycle required working with everyone along the way.
These Beloved Warblers Migrate North Almost a Week Earlier Than 50 Years Ago
February 21, 2020 — Black-throated Blue Warblers now start spring migration 5.5 days sooner than they did in the 1960s, a new study finds. Is ÃÛèÖAPP change to blame?
Millions of Migratory Birds Catch a Break as NYC Passes Bird-Friendly Building Law
December 10, 2019 — Construction of new buildings and major renovations to existing buildings will now be required to use bird-safe materials that greatly reduce collision risks to migratory birds.
Harper the Great Blue Heron Just Crushed Her Fall Migration
October 11, 2019 — The lanky wader flew nonstop over the open ocean from Canada to Florida in just 38 hours. Now she's living that island life.
Motus Towers: A new way to use older technology to understand migration
September 16, 2019 — How can we look at migration routes in real-time without satellite transmitters and without having to recapture the units? By using old fashioned radio telemetry!
The Secret Lives of Swallow-tailed Kites
August 27, 2019 — Satellite tags are helping us better understand the nesting behaviors and migrations of these agile raptors, which hunt, drink, and bathe on the wing.
Introducing ÃÛèÖAPP's Migratory Bird Initiative—and How You Can Help
August 16, 2019 — Using the latest science, we will protect migratory birds during breeding season, winter and their migrations in between, conserving habitat and addressing threats they encounter year-round.
Are These Birds Better Than Computers at Predicting Hurricane Seasons?
August 13, 2019 — A nearly two-decade Veery study suggests these feathered forecasters can sense major storms months in advance.
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