Bird Migration Explorer Supporters Partners Data Providers Species Migration Connections Conservation Challenges Learning Resources What's New

Learning Resources

Welcome!

The Bird Migration Explorer is a first-of-its-kind interactive, digital platform that visualizes the heroic annual journeys of 458 species of North American migratory birds. Available in English and Spanish, the platform makes it possible to delve into the fascinating world of bird migration like never before.

For an overview of the Bird Migration Explorer, watch our introductory video.

For instruction on how to use the Bird Migration Explorer, watch our explainer video.

You can also take a quick tour of the Bird Migration Explorer by clicking the “Take a tour” button on the Bird Migration Explorer Home Page.

Resources for Young Explorers

These resources and activities are designed to introduce young people to birds and their migration journeys. Try one of these activities today!

Audubon Adventures is an environmental education curriculum product created by the National Audubon Society for grades 3–5 (suitable for ages 8–11). These activities are developed by professional environmental educators and present standards-based science content about birds, wildlife, and their habitats. Explore these Audubon Adventures on bird migration:

The Bird Migration Explorer Teacher’s Guide.
Birds on the Move Teacher’s Guide and accompanying Student Magazine in English or Spanish.

Audubon for Kids is a collection of DIY activities and content from Audubon’s editors. These activities can be done at home, in a yard, or in a park, sometimes with the help of a computer. The goal is to give children space to explore and feel connected to the natural world. Suitable for younger children accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Interactive game following the migration journeys of five species.
Drawing and interactive activity to use the Bird Migration Explorer to learn about the journeys of migratory bird species then write a postcard from a place one has visited.

How Have You Used the Bird Migration Explorer?

We'd love to hear how you've used the Bird Migration Explorer to learn about birds, understand conservation challenges, teach others, advocate for an issue, or something else. Please fill out this user form to help us get acquainted with your interests. This information helps us invest in the features that users value most.

Tips

There’s a lot to discover with the Bird Migration Explorer—here are some tips to guide you on your next adventure:

For the best performance, make sure the Bird Migration Explorer is only open in one browser tab.
Clicking the Audubon logo returns you to the home page, and the toggle at the top right allows you to switch between English and Spanish.
Go to the “About'' section under the upper right menu to learn more about the Bird Migration Explorer, founding partners, data providers, and information on methods for producing the maps.
In the “Map Layers” panel, you can turn layers off and on to see more or less information on the screen. This panel also has descriptions of each map layer.
Click on the “Data Providers” panel to see a full list of data sources for the specific map you are viewing.
On the “Species Migration” map, you can play or pause the map. On desktop or laptop computers you can drag the time slider at the bottom of the screen, and also expand the time slider to see bird distribution across multiple weeks of the year. The time slider is set to a one-week window by default.
Use the filters on the “Bird Species” panel to narrow your search, e.g., warblers that occur at your location this month.
Check out “Related Stories” on the Bird Species and Conservation Challenges pages to read some compelling stories about birds and the challenges they face.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get the data from my research included in the Bird Migration Explorer?

To contribute research studies on tagged or tracked birds to the Bird Migration Explorer, please contact migratorybirds@audubon.org.

How often will the data be refreshed?

The Bird Migration Explorer is based on several different types of data that are updated daily (e.g., live tracking data) to annually (e.g., species abundance models). We refresh the data in the Explorer twice per year.

Can I access or download the geospatial data used in the Bird Migration Explorer?

The data in the Bird Migration Explorer were contributed through data sharing agreements that limit our ability to re-share data. Requests for data should be directed to the contributing data holder or organization, which can be found via the Data Providers panel or About Data Providers page.

I have feedback, or I see an error/bug. Who should I contact?

Fill out this form to give feedback on the Bird Migration Explorer.

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What’s New

There are now over 11,500 bird tracks for almost 200 species including new tagging data from the Bird Genoscape Project, Motus Wildlife Tracking System, USGS Bird Banding Lab, and Movebank; and updated weekly abundance using the latest models by eBird at The Cornell Lab
The redesigned Locations sidebar shows tagged species for your primary location, and you can filter the map to see bird connections from different types of tracking devices
On Species Conservation Challenge pages, the conservation challenge selection box includes graphs to facilitate comparison of exposure across challenges
North American population size estimates for landbirds are now available in the Conservation Statistics section of Species pages
Species Migration animated maps load faster and show the footprint of tracked birds upon opening
In partnership with Movebank, we launched the Migratory Bird Initiative Collection, a compilation of bird migration studies shared by collaborating researchers