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Monthly Spotlight: Bird Migration

National Bird Migration Day -October 11th

Migration, noun

A. The movement of an animal from one region, location, or habitat to another in order to breed, grow, or find food; an instance of this; esp. (of a bird, mammal, or fish) the periodic travel to and from a region at a particular season and along a well-established route.

B. A flock, herd, shoal, etc., of migrating animals.

C. Change in or extension of the distribution of a plant or animal; an instance of this.

Why do they migrate?

One of the main reasons for migration is to move from one area that has low or decreasing resources to an area of high or increasing resources. These resources are usually food and nesting locations. 

Escaping the cold is an additional factor for birds to move south in the winter, although most birds (like the hummingbird) can actually withstand freezing temperatures as long as the food supply is up to their standards and available. 

Migrating back north in the spring is more of an advantage for birds as the plants start growing and blooming, the abundance of insects emerges, and the open spaces for nesting. -All About Birds

Types of migration.

The term migration describes periodic, large-scale movements of populations of animals. One way to look at migration is to consider the distances traveled. The pattern of migration can vary within each category, but it is most variable in short and medium-distance migrants. Long-distance migrants face arduous journeys, yet it is undertaken by about 350 species of North American birds.

  • Permanent Residents: These birds do NOT migrate. They can find their food year-round.
  • Short Distance: These birds make relatively small movements, such as transitioning from a higher elevation to a lower one on a mountainside.
  • Medium Distance: These birds move a couple of hundred miles for food and shelter.
  • Long Distance: These birds move from breeding ranges that are in the US and Canada to wintering grounds in Central and South America.

-All About Birds

What triggers migration?

The mechanisms initiating migratory behavior vary and are not always completely understood. Migration can be triggered by a combination of changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food supplies, and genetic predisposition. Different species of birds and even segments of the population within the same species may follow different migratory patterns.

Migrating birds can cover thousands of miles in their annual travels, often traveling the same course year after year with little deviation. First-year birds often make their very first migration on their own. Somehow, they can find their winter home despite never having seen it before, and return the following spring to where they were born.

The secrets of their amazing navigational skills aren’t fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate. Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the Earth’s magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day. There’s even evidence that the sense of smell plays a role, at least for homing pigeons.

Some species, particularly waterfowl and cranes, follow preferred pathways on their annual migrations. These pathways are often related to important stopover locations that provide food supplies critical to the birds’ survival. Smaller birds tend to migrate in broad fronts across the landscape. -All About Birds

2025 Migration Map

Real-time analysis maps show intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network between local sunset to sunrise. All graphics are relative to the Eastern time zone. 

CLICK HERE to see how this year's fall migration has progressed day by day!

Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produces these maps. Support for this research came from NASA, the Edward W. Rose Postdoctoral Fellowship, and Amazon Web Services. The BirdCast project was created by grants from the National Science Foundation and supported by additional grants from the Leon Levy Foundation. -Dokter, A. M. Year/s of live migration map image.

Most Common -The Warbler

American Redstart Black-and-White Warbler Blackburnian Warbler

American Redstart      |      Black-and-White Warbler      |      Blackburnian Warbler

Cerulean Warbler Kirtland's Warbler Northern Parula

Cerulean Warbler      |      Kirtland's Warbler      |      Northern Parula

Prothonotary Warbler Yellow Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler      |      Yellow Warbler

Other Common Midwestern Birds

Yellow Billed Cuckoo Indiana Patoka Nighthawk

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo      |      Indiana Patoka      |      Nighthawk

Snow Geese Green-Winged Teal Indiana Virginia Rail

Snow Geese      |      Green-Winged Teal      |      Virginia Rail

Dickcissel Orchard Oriole Vulture

Dickcissel      |      Orchard Oriole      |      Vulture

Common Tern

Common Tern

Information from The Nature Conservancy

  • At least 4,000 species of birds are regular migrants, which is about 40 percent of the total number of birds in the world
  • Bar-headed Geese are the highest-flying migratory birds
    • But the highest altitude ever recorded was in 1975 by a Ruppel's Griffon Vulture that unfortunately collided with a plane that was at 37,000 feet
  • The Arctic Tern has the longest migration of any bird in the world
    • They can fly more than 49,700 miles in a year
    • They also have a lifespan of over 30 years, so adding up the flights, it is equivalent to three trips to the moon and back
  • The Northern Wheatear travels up to 9,000 miles each way between the Arctic and Africa- one of the longest ranges of any songbird
    • They also weigh less than an ounce on average
  • The Great Snipe is the fastest bird to migrate - around 4,200 miles at speeds up to 60 mph
  • The Bar-Tailed Godwit can fly for nearly 7,000 miles without stopping -making it the bird with the longest record of non-stop flight
    • This also equates to about eight days straight of flying
  • To prepare for the extremely taxing effort of migration, birds enter a state called hyperphagia, where they bulk up on food in the preceding weeks to store fat, which they’ll later use for energy on their long journeys
    • Some birds, like the Blackpoll Warbler, almost double their body weight before flying 2,300 miles non-stop for 86 hours.
  • Even birds that don’t fly migrate.
    • Emus, the large Australian birds, often travel for miles on foot to find food, and many populations of penguins migrate by swimming.
  • Many migratory birds fly at night as the colder temperatures reduce the danger of overheating and allow birds to fly further without having to stop and cool down
    • Also, dark skies tend to hold fewer predators

Information gathered from the Audubon and the American Bird Conservancy

Birding doesn't take all that much to get started. All you really need is to go outside and be patient, but if you want to up your game, here are some tips and tricks around birding and some equipment that may make things easier:

  • Binoculars
    • This tool can help you see birds in a closer view without physically getting closer. This also helps with identifying specific bird species.
  • Field Guide or Mobile Bird ID App
    • Take a look at some of the books the NICC library has on birding, and even check out a birding kit to help you get started!
    • Otherwise, some apps like Merlin Bird ID and Cornell Lab of Ornithology can also help you identify birds by their songs and calls, along with physical descriptions. Sometimes, these apps will also help you create a list of birds that you have been able to spot.
  • Journal or Notepad
    • This way, you can write down the types of birds you have seen and what you expect to see with each species.
  • Learning to Bird by Ear
    • Sometimes, the best way to find a bird is by following its songs or calls. However, if you’re new to birding, figuring out which bird is making a sound can be incredibly intimidating.
      • You may want to start by familiarising yourself with the songs and calls around you (Like the various Wabblers or Northern Cardinals)
      • Use apps or websites to help you distinguish sounds you have already heard
      • Join a local birding club or go on birding hikes at your local nature center (Like the Prairie Farmer Recreation Trails)
      • Reference field guides. Birding guides often include a mnemonic or phonetic spelling of bird calls to help you learn and remember them.
  • Gather information from your local conservation board

Sibley's Birding Basics by David Allen Sibley   Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: the how to, where to, and when to of birding by Pete Dunne  1001 Secrets every birder should know by Sharon Stiteler

The Scientific nomenclature of birds in the Upper Midwest by James Sandrock and Jean C Prior   Atlas of bird migration: tracing the great journey's of the world's birds by Jonathan Elphick   Iowa Birdlife by Gladys Black

A Guide to field identification birds of North America by Chandler S Robbins   The thing with the feathers: the surprising lives of birds and what they reveal about being human by Noah Strycker   Audubon Magazine (Fall 2025 Edition)