“Calling all bird lovers!” BirdCast: Real-time predictions of bird migrations

Let’s fly south for the winter! Are you a bird lover? Well, I have a website that you are going to love!

Did you know that over 180,000 birds have flown across Cape May County so far TONIGHT? Yes – that number only represents tonight! I came across this super neat website called “BirdCast.” According to the website, BirdCast provides real-time predictions of bird migrations: when they migrate, where they migrate, and how far they will be flying.

This graphic shows you the migration intensity. The very bright colors are the highest intensity. For example, you can see the highest migration intensity across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, and another “hot spot” across portions of the Tennessee River Valley.

Now, let’s go local. We will use Cape May County as our example. The breakdown shows how many birds have flown across Cape May County tonight, the flight direction and speed (which is currently south at 30 mph,) the nightly average of birds in flight, and the total number of birds that have crossed Cape May County since August. Pretty impressive numbers and information – especially if you are a bird lover!

The most fascinating part of this site (at least to me) is that BirdCast shows you all the birds that “typically” migrate across this region, and when you can typically see them.

Right now, Yellow and Prarie Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, and Common Terns seem to be the most popular this time of year as they migrate southward!

You can check out BirdCast by going to https://www.birdcast.info

“Calling all bird lovers!” BirdCast: Real-time predictions of bird migrations

Denver Murary