First-of-Its-Type Digital Platform Reveals Migration Knowledge for Birds Throughout the Americas Simply In Time for Fall Migration
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NEW YORK – At this time, as tens of millions of birds are flocking to their wintering grounds, the Nationwide Audubon Society and 9 associate organizations introduced the Hen Migration Explorer (www.birdmigrationexplorer.org), a state-of-the-art digital platform that reveals migration information consolidated for 458 fowl species that breed in america and Canada. The free, interactive platform, accessible in English and Spanish, permits customers to see essentially the most full information collected on migratory species of their neighborhoods and the place these birds go all year long. (This platform is at the moment greatest considered on a desktop browser.)
The Hen Migration Explorer reveals insights in regards to the journeys of particular person species, the connectedness, via migratory birds, of any given location within the hemisphere, and in addition particulars how migratory birds encounter 19 totally different conservation challenges. For instance, at the very least 299 species join New York Metropolis to at the very least 30 different nations and territories within the hemisphere, together with locations as distant 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 Hen Migration Explorer also can present when every of those species passes via New York, Veracruz, or some other location, and the extent to which every of these species overlaps with any variety of conservation challenges reminiscent of gentle air pollution or energy traces alongside their journeys. Extra typically, a person can see how nations 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.
“Folks have all the time been curious and amazed by migratory birds and their unimaginable journeys, however solely lately are scientists piecing collectively the complete image of how these birds journey from one finish of the globe to the opposite,” stated Dr. Jill Deppe, senior director of Audubon’s Migratory Hen Initiative, the founding group of the Hen Migration Explorer.
“Migratory birds additionally want our assist—populations are dealing with steep declines throughout the board. By consolidating and visualizing these information, the Hen Migration Explorer can educate us extra about learn how to defend these unimaginable vacationers that join individuals throughout your complete hemisphere,” stated 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 in addition all through the migratory intervals in between, the Hen Migration Explorer supplies a scientific foundation for mandatory conservation insurance policies and options to handle these steep declines.
“We’re in a golden age of fowl migration analysis and know-how, and by consolidating all of those information into one interactive platform, we will higher perceive which locations can have the largest affect to assist migratory birds,” stated Melanie Smith, director of the Hen Migration Explorer for Audubon’s Migratory Hen Initiative. “The unprecedented quantity and integration of the Hen Migration Explorer’s information can result in higher conservation efforts and outcomes.”
The Hen Migration Explorer brings collectively three kinds of geospatial fowl information: abundance information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Standing fashions; connectivity information from the USGS Japanese Ecological Science Middle Hen Banding Lab and Hen Genoscape Challenge; and monitoring information from Birds Canada, the Smithsonian Migratory Hen Middle and lots of of researchers from throughout the globe, who generously contributed their datasets to this undertaking. Audubon scientists and cartographers consolidated these information to create animated and interactive visualizations to deliver species migration to life on a map.
The Hen Migration Explorer contains:
- Interactive, animated maps of the complete annual migration for 458 species
- Greater than 4.2 million point-to-point migratory fowl connections throughout the hemisphere
- Visualizations for 19 chosen Conservation Challenges that migratory birds are uncovered to all year long throughout the Americas.
“The best migratory fowl conservation efforts are knowledgeable by the best-available science, interact native communities, and are supported by companions and governments throughout their migratory ranges,” stated Marshall Johnson, chief conservation officer for the Nationwide Audubon Society. “The Hen Migration Explorer makes it plain to see how linked we’re by these unimaginable birds. It’s clearer than ever that we have now a collective accountability and alternative throughout the hemisphere to guard these birds and the locations they want, at present and tomorrow.”
The Hen Migration Explorer displays a unprecedented partnership amongst science, conservation, and know-how organizations and establishments and is made doable with information from the next associate organizations and greater than 500 research from researchers and establishments from around the globe.
“The Hen Migration Explorer is an urgently-needed new software for conservation and an impressive collaborative achievement! Utilizing the explorer, individuals 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 information from the Motus Wildlife Monitoring System and initiatives utilizing different monitoring applied sciences.”
— Stu Mackenzie, director of strategic belongings, Birds Canada.
“The Hen Migration Explorer is a state-of-the-art information visualization platform that brings to life the unimaginable transcontinental journeys of our migratory birds, utilizing the most recent accessible information on migratory connectivity for lots of of species, and highlights the locations and pathways these birds depend upon all through their full annual cycle, in addition to the challenges they might face alongside the way in which. This software will little doubt be of nice curiosity to researchers, conservationists, educators and fowl fans alike, and can solely change into extra wealthy over time.”
— Arvind Panjabi, avian conservation scientist, Hen Conservancy of the Rockies.
“The Hen Migration Explorer brings collectively cutting-edge applied sciences and many years of arduous work by migration scientists from numerous 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 way in which.”
— Dr. Kristen Ruegg, co-director, Hen Genoscape Challenge.
“Of the ten nations with the best variety of globally threatened birds, six of them are in Americas, because the 2022 State of the World’s Birds Report exhibits. In that context, the Hen Migration Explorer is an important new software to light up essential fowl conservation alternatives and assist reimagine conservation investments throughout the Western Hemisphere, constructing on Vital Hen 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 Hen Migration Explorer present us with hope. They present not solely the dedication of organizations and scientists to reversing these declines, however the dedication of lots of of 1000’s of individuals from throughout the Americas who present us with a brand new method to see our world by contributing information to eBird.”
— Chris Wooden, managing director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Middle for Avian Inhabitants Research.
“The Nationwide Audubon Society’s Hen Migration Explorer combines the integrative energy of maps and dynamic apps to drive new insights into the unimaginable journey of birds throughout the Americas. It illuminates the significance and urgency of challenges inherent within the journey of those birds via 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 programs 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 fowl 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 fowl species, instruments just like the Hen Migration Explorer that merely talk detailed information assist conservationists change into surgically exact to implement options that save birds.”
— Dr. Peter P. Marra, director, The Earth Commons—Georgetown College’s Institute for Setting & Sustainability.
“Scientists have found a lot about fowl migration via animal monitoring, however the outcomes are scattered throughout lots of of initiatives and analysis papers. We’ve been thrilled to assist the Hen Migration Explorer deliver these actions along with different information and see what they will inform us—with these putting visualizations, we will uncover birds and their migrations, join them to our house cities, and learn to assist preserve them for future generations.”
— Sarah Davidson, information curator, Movebank, a analysis platform hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Conduct.
“In occasions of uncertainty, birds are a logo of hope, connectivity and perseverance. This new platform brings important analysis collectively and exhibits how birds join communities, nations and continents. From monitoring and finding out 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 know and defend the grand phenomenon of fowl migration.”
— Scott Sillett, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Hen Middle.
To study extra about migratory birds, the journeys they make, and the challenges they expertise alongside the way in which, please go to the Hen Migration Explorer right here: www.birdmigrationexplorer.org.
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, at present and tomorrow, all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, training 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 wherein individuals and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation group. Study extra learn how to 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, Hen 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 Conduct (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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