First-of-Its-Form Digital Platform Reveals Migration Information for Birds Throughout the Americas Simply In Time for Fall Migration
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NEW YORK – Right this moment, as tens of millions of birds are flocking to their wintering grounds, the Nationwide Audubon Society and 9 associate organizations introduced the Fowl Migration Explorer (www.birdmigrationexplorer.org), a state-of-the-art digital platform that reveals migration knowledge consolidated for 458 chicken species that breed in america and Canada. The free, interactive platform, accessible in English and Spanish, permits customers to see probably the most full knowledge collected on migratory species of their neighborhoods and the place these birds go all year long. (This platform is at present finest considered on a desktop browser.)
The Fowl Migration Explorer reveals insights in regards to the journeys of particular person species, the connectedness, by means of migratory birds, of any given location within the hemisphere, and in addition particulars how migratory birds encounter 19 completely different conservation challenges. For instance, a minimum of 299 species join New York Metropolis to a minimum of 30 different international locations and territories within the hemisphere, together with locations as far-off as Argentina and Uruguay. And, the well-known “River of Raptors” migration hall in Veracruz, Mexico, is a hub connecting the acute northern and southern ends of the globe.
The Fowl Migration Explorer may present when every of those species passes by means of New York, Veracruz, or some other location, and the extent to which every of these species overlaps with any variety of conservation challenges comparable to gentle air pollution or energy traces alongside their journeys. Extra typically, a consumer can see how international locations within the Americas are all linked to one another by migratory birds, underscoring the significance of worldwide cooperation and collaboration within the analysis and conservation of those species.
“Individuals have at all times been curious and amazed by migratory birds and their unbelievable journeys, however solely not too long ago are scientists piecing collectively the total image of how these birds journey from one finish of the globe to the opposite,” mentioned Dr. Jill Deppe, senior director of Audubon’s Migratory Fowl Initiative, the founding group of the Fowl Migration Explorer.
“Migratory birds additionally want our assist—populations are dealing with steep declines throughout the board. By consolidating and visualizing these knowledge, the Fowl Migration Explorer can train us extra about shield these unbelievable vacationers that join folks throughout the whole hemisphere,” mentioned Deppe.
Since 1970, North America has misplaced greater than 2.5 billion migratory birds. By visualizing and highlighting the locations birds needn’t solely throughout breeding and wintering seasons, but additionally all through the migratory intervals in between, the Fowl Migration Explorer supplies a scientific foundation for vital conservation insurance policies and options to handle these steep declines.
“We’re in a golden age of chicken migration analysis and know-how, and by consolidating all of those knowledge into one interactive platform, we will higher perceive which locations can have the largest affect to assist migratory birds,” mentioned Melanie Smith, director of the Fowl Migration Explorer for Audubon’s Migratory Fowl Initiative. “The unprecedented quantity and integration of the Fowl Migration Explorer’s knowledge can result in higher conservation efforts and outcomes.”
The Fowl Migration Explorer brings collectively three sorts of geospatial chicken knowledge: abundance knowledge from Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Standing fashions; connectivity knowledge from the USGS Jap Ecological Science Middle Fowl Banding Lab and Fowl Genoscape Challenge; and monitoring knowledge from Birds Canada, the Smithsonian Migratory Fowl Middle and a whole lot of researchers from throughout the globe, who generously contributed their datasets to this undertaking. Audubon scientists and cartographers consolidated these knowledge to create animated and interactive visualizations to deliver species migration to life on a map.
The Fowl Migration Explorer contains:
- Interactive, animated maps of the total annual migration for 458 species
- Greater than 4.2 million point-to-point migratory chicken connections throughout the hemisphere
- Visualizations for 19 chosen Conservation Challenges that migratory birds are uncovered to all year long throughout the Americas.
“The simplest migratory chicken conservation efforts are knowledgeable by the best-available science, interact native communities, and are supported by companions and governments throughout their migratory ranges,” mentioned Marshall Johnson, chief conservation officer for the Nationwide Audubon Society. “The Fowl Migration Explorer makes it plain to see how linked we’re by these unbelievable birds. It’s clearer than ever that now we have a collective duty and alternative throughout the hemisphere to guard these birds and the locations they want, in the present day and tomorrow.”
The Fowl Migration Explorer displays a rare partnership amongst science, conservation, and know-how organizations and establishments and is made doable with knowledge from the next associate organizations and greater than 500 research from researchers and establishments from around the globe.
“The Fowl Migration Explorer is an urgently-needed new software for conservation and an excellent collaborative achievement! Utilizing the explorer, folks can uncover the magnificence of migratory birds, the challenges they face, and efforts to preserve them – together with steps anybody can take to assist birds. Birds Canada is a proud associate, contributing experience and large knowledge from the Motus Wildlife Monitoring System and initiatives utilizing different monitoring applied sciences.”
— Stu Mackenzie, director of strategic property, Birds Canada.
“The Fowl Migration Explorer is a state-of-the-art knowledge visualization platform that brings to life the unbelievable transcontinental journeys of our migratory birds, utilizing the most recent accessible knowledge on migratory connectivity for a whole lot of species, and highlights the locations and pathways these birds rely on all through their full annual cycle, in addition to the challenges they might face alongside the best way. This software will little question be of nice curiosity to researchers, conservationists, educators and chicken lovers alike, and can solely develop into extra wealthy over time.”
— Arvind Panjabi, avian conservation scientist, Fowl Conservancy of the Rockies.
“The Fowl Migration Explorer brings collectively cutting-edge applied sciences and many years of laborious work by migration scientists from varied backgrounds right into a single invaluable software that gives easy-to-access insights into the motion patterns of our yard birds and the challenges they face alongside the best way.”
— Dr. Kristen Ruegg, co-director, Fowl Genoscape Challenge.
“Of the ten international locations with the best variety of globally threatened birds, six of them are in Americas, because the 2022 State of the World’s Birds Report reveals. In that context, the Fowl Migration Explorer is an important new software to light up essential chicken conservation alternatives and assist reimagine conservation investments throughout the Western Hemisphere, constructing on Necessary Fowl Areas and different key scientific work. We’re excited to place this software to make use of and make a distinction for biodiversity and communities.”
— Patricia Zurita, CEO, BirdLife Worldwide.
“Within the final 50 years we’ve misplaced almost one-third of all breeding birds within the U.S. and Canada. However instruments just like the Fowl Migration Explorer present us with hope. They present not solely the dedication of organizations and scientists to reversing these declines, however the dedication of a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals from throughout the Americas who present us with a brand new option to see our world by contributing knowledge to eBird.”
— Chris Wooden, managing director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Middle for Avian Inhabitants Research.
“The Nationwide Audubon Society’s Fowl Migration Explorer combines the integrative energy of maps and dynamic apps to drive new insights into the unbelievable journey of birds throughout the Americas. It illuminates the significance and urgency of challenges inherent within the journey of those birds by means of our backyards, neighborhoods, states, and throughout huge landscapes. It’s my hope that those that work together with the Explorer app acquire a brand new understanding of the dynamic pure techniques round us and are impressed to seek out significant methods to guard and maintain our pure world.”
— Jack Dangermond, co-founder and president, Esri.
“One of many best challenges in chicken conservation is understanding the place they’re coming from and the place they’re going. On the heels of realizing that we’re shedding nearly all of our chicken species, instruments just like the Fowl Migration Explorer that merely talk detailed knowledge assist conservationists develop into surgically exact to implement options that save birds.”
— Dr. Peter P. Marra, director, The Earth Commons—Georgetown College’s Institute for Surroundings & Sustainability.
“Scientists have found a lot about chicken migration by means of animal monitoring, however the outcomes are scattered throughout a whole lot of initiatives and analysis papers. We’ve been thrilled to assist the Fowl Migration Explorer deliver these actions along with different knowledge and see what they will inform us—with these putting visualizations, we will uncover birds and their migrations, join them to our dwelling cities, and learn to assist preserve them for future generations.”
— Sarah Davidson, knowledge curator, Movebank, a analysis platform hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Habits.
“In occasions of uncertainty, birds are a logo of hope, connectivity and perseverance. This new platform brings important analysis collectively and reveals how birds join communities, international locations and continents. From monitoring and learning birds in native, city, and agricultural habitats and efficiently breeding species in human look after the primary time to creating an immersive exhibit devoted to those feathered vacationers, the Smithsonian is working with companions and the general public to grasp and shield the grand phenomenon of chicken migration.”
— Scott Sillett, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Fowl Middle.
To be taught extra about migratory birds, the journeys they make, and the challenges they expertise alongside the best way, please go to the Fowl Migration Explorer right here: www.birdmigrationexplorer.org.
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, in the present day and tomorrow, all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, schooling and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state packages, nature facilities, chapters and companions have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches tens of millions of individuals annually to tell, encourage and unite various communities in conservation motion. Since 1905, Audubon’s imaginative and prescient has been a world by which folks and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation group. Be taught extra assist at www.audubon.org and comply with us on Twitter and Instagram at @audubonsociety.
Media Contacts:
- Nicolas Gonzalez, nicolas.gonzalez@audubon.org, (310) 897-9836, Nationwide Audubon Society.
- Ruth Friendship-Keller, rfriendshipkeller@birdscanada.org (519) 586-3531 ext. 111, Birds Canada.
- Kristen Ruegg, kristen.ruegg@colostate.edu, (510) 292-5099, Fowl Genoscape Challenge, Colorado State College.
- Pat Leonard, pel27@cornell.edu, (607) 254-2137, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Jo Ann Pruchniewski, jpruchniewski@esri.com, (301) 693-2643, Esri.
- Sarah Davidson, sdavidson@ab.mpg.de, (215) 651-4023, Max Planck Institute of Animal Habits (Movebank)
- Justine Bowe, justine.bowe@georgetown.edu, Georgetown College.
- Annalisa Meyer, meyeran@si.edu, (202) 904-8724, Smithsonian’s Nationwide Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
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