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NEW YORK – Right this moment, as thousands and thousands of birds are flocking to their wintering grounds, the Nationwide Audubon Society and 9 associate organizations introduced the Chook Migration Explorer (www.birdmigrationexplorer.org), a state-of-the-art digital platform that reveals migration information consolidated for 458 chook species that breed in the USA and Canada. The free, interactive platform, accessible in English and Spanish, permits customers to see probably 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 finest seen on a desktop browser.)
The Chook 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 completely different conservation challenges. For instance, at the least 299 species join New York Metropolis to at the least 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 Chook Migration Explorer may also present when every of those species passes via New York, Veracruz, or every other location, and the extent to which every of these species overlaps with any variety of conservation challenges similar to mild air pollution or energy strains alongside their journeys. Extra typically, a person 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 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,” mentioned Dr. Jill Deppe, senior director of Audubon’s Migratory Chook Initiative, the founding group of the Chook Migration Explorer.
“Migratory birds additionally want our assist—populations are going through steep declines throughout the board. By consolidating and visualizing these information, the Chook Migration Explorer can train us extra about how one can shield these unimaginable vacationers that join folks throughout the complete 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 durations in between, the Chook Migration Explorer offers a scientific foundation for crucial conservation insurance policies and options to handle these steep declines.
“We’re in a golden age of chook 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 influence to assist migratory birds,” mentioned Melanie Smith, director of the Chook Migration Explorer for Audubon’s Migratory Chook Initiative. “The unprecedented quantity and integration of the Chook Migration Explorer’s information can result in higher conservation efforts and outcomes.”
The Chook Migration Explorer brings collectively three forms of geospatial chook information: abundance information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Standing fashions; connectivity information from the USGS Japanese Ecological Science Heart Chook Banding Lab and Chook Genoscape Mission; and monitoring information from Birds Canada, the Smithsonian Migratory Chook Heart and lots of of researchers from throughout the globe, who generously contributed their datasets to this mission. Audubon scientists and cartographers consolidated these information to create animated and interactive visualizations to deliver species migration to life on a map.
The Chook Migration Explorer contains:
- Interactive, animated maps of the complete annual migration for 458 species
- Greater than 4.2 million point-to-point migratory chook 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 chook conservation efforts are knowledgeable by the best-available science, have interaction 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 Chook Migration Explorer makes it plain to see how linked we’re by these unimaginable birds. It’s clearer than ever that we’ve got a collective accountability and alternative throughout the hemisphere to guard these birds and the locations they want, at this time and tomorrow.”
The Chook Migration Explorer displays a rare partnership amongst science, conservation, and know-how organizations and establishments and is made potential with information from the next associate organizations and greater than 500 research from researchers and establishments from world wide.
“The Chook Migration Explorer is an urgently-needed new device for conservation and an impressive 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 information from the Motus Wildlife Monitoring System and tasks utilizing different monitoring applied sciences.”
— Stu Mackenzie, director of strategic property, Birds Canada.
“The Chook 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 newest 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 could face alongside the way in which. This device will little doubt be of nice curiosity to researchers, conservationists, educators and chook fans alike, and can solely turn into extra wealthy over time.”
— Arvind Panjabi, avian conservation scientist, Chook Conservancy of the Rockies.
“The Chook Migration Explorer brings collectively cutting-edge applied sciences and many years of onerous work by migration scientists from numerous backgrounds right into a single invaluable device 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, Chook Genoscape Mission.
“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 Chook Migration Explorer is an important new device to light up essential chook conservation alternatives and assist reimagine conservation investments throughout the Western Hemisphere, constructing on Essential Chook Areas and different key scientific work. We’re excited to place this device 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 Chook 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 technique to see our world by contributing information to eBird.”
— Chris Wooden, managing director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Heart for Avian Inhabitants Research.
“The Nationwide Audubon Society’s Chook 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 methods 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 biggest challenges in chook conservation is understanding the place they’re coming from and the place they’re going. On the heels of realizing that we’re dropping the vast majority of our chook species, instruments just like the Chook Migration Explorer that merely talk detailed information assist conservationists turn 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 chook migration via animal monitoring, however the outcomes are scattered throughout lots of of tasks and analysis papers. We’ve been thrilled to assist the Chook Migration Explorer deliver these actions along with different information and see what they will inform us—with these placing visualizations, we will uncover birds and their migrations, join them to our house cities, and discover ways 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 very 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 take care of 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 shield the grand phenomenon of chook migration.”
— Scott Sillett, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Chook Heart.
To be taught extra about migratory birds, the journeys they make, and the challenges they expertise alongside the way in which, please go to the Chook Migration Explorer right here: www.birdmigrationexplorer.org.
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, at this time and tomorrow, all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, training and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state applications, nature facilities, chapters and companions have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches thousands and thousands of individuals annually to tell, encourage and unite numerous 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 how one can assist at www.audubon.org and observe 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, Chook Genoscape Mission, 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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