Some birds migrate at night because the air is calmer and they can use the stars to help them navigate to their destinations. Now here’s the thrilling bit–weather forecasting radar can pick up these aviary flight paths (which can also include bats and insects), so monitoring migration patterns is possible for anyone with access to the internet. The peak of evening migration is between 11:00pm and 1:00am.

A simple and quick tutorial by David La Puma is available online for beginners here, and further FAQ’s can be answered at woodcreeper.com.

The animated map above was created by Cornell University in 2008 to illustrate how weather forecast radar can reveal nocturnal migration.

How to View Nocturnal Bird Migration Via Radar

March 15, 2013 — bird migration