Atlas of Migratory Connectivity

Discovering Unknown Migrations:

The Atlas of Migratory Connectivity for the Birds of North America


 

Through the Migratory Connectivity Project, led by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and Georgetown University and together with the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we have been working on an important and exciting two volume book entitled “Discovering Unknown Migrations: The Atlas of Migratory Connectivity for the Birds of North America.”  The Atlas will be published by Princeton University Press and will fill an enormous knowledge gap about the migratory connectivity for the birds of North America. The stories we’re seeing for each species are spectacular, the connections between geographic places stunning, and the biological information priceless.

Discovering Unknown Migrations will begin with introductory chapters ranging from why understanding migratory connectivity is critical to the state-of-the-art tools available to quantify and track where birds go throughout their annual cycle. Most of the book will consist of individual species accounts that contain maps and a short narrative written by knowledgeable experts. The goal is to compile all the data available on Migratory Connectivity for the Birds of North America, emphasizing eBird, banding, tracking, and connectivity maps. Equally important is to communicate why tracking and migratory connectivity is critical from a conservation as well as basic biology perspective. We also want to highlight bird banding efforts over the last 100 years and tracking technology in all its glory! Finally – we want to highlight the international nature of migratory birds in a way that has not been highlighted before.

If you are interested in contributing your data to the Atlas please review our data sharing agreement (click here) or contact Amy Scarpignato, Atlas coordinator (scarpignatoa@si.edu) with any questions.

 

Burrowing owls poster