A new study led by researchers at Cornell University has mapped when, where, and how most songbirds migrate offshore along North American coastal waters. The study, which analyzed 10 years of weather radar data from 16 coastal sites stretching from Maine to Florida and around the Gulf of Mexico to Texas, found that migration patterns over water differ from those over land.

The research shows that songbird migration over the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico occurs in fewer, more concentrated pulses over a shorter time period than terrestrial migration. The study also noted that more birds migrate in the fall than in the spring, with many young birds undertaking their first southward journey during the fall season.

Lead researcher Shannon Curley, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, explained that birds appear to be more selective when choosing nights to cross large bodies of water because they lack places to rest and refuel. "Birds may wait for ideal weather conditions, such as favorable winds, before making an offshore crossing," Curley said.

The findings offer a baseline for wind energy managers to reduce bird collisions with wind turbines while still generating sustainable energy.

Source: Cornell University

Source Type: College

Source Location: Ithaca

Ithaca, NY

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