This article was originally published in New Hampshire Bird Records, Vol. 43 Issue 1.

Spring birding in New England boasts the return of many of our beloved birds. Though birding is a daytime affair for many, the true magic of spring migration happens at night. In early spring, BirdCast shows nighttime migration in a way binoculars can’t.

BirdCast provides real-time, machine-learning based predictions of bird migrations. These predictions are rooted in the study of flight calls, radar data, satellite imagery, weather, and human population data.

For backyard and seasoned birders alike, a tool of this caliber may sound unapproachable, but BirdCast can be a great resource for any birder. The website boasts four primary tools: Bird Migration Forecast Maps, Live Bird Migration Maps, Local Migration Alerts, and a Migration Dashboard.

Bird Migration Forecast Maps

Available starting in March, these maps model nocturnal migration based on the last 23 years of bird movements. The maps use these data combined with weather and precipitation forecasts, to predict suitable conditions for migration and suitable conditions for spotting birds.

Live Bird Migration Maps

BirdCast’s live maps depict the intensity of nocturnal bird migration as detected by radar between local sunset and sunrise, allowing you to look at the current night’s migration in real time. The data in this tool span back to 2018, making for a simple determination of the intensity of birds in our local area on a given date in the past too.

Local Migration Alerts

This may be the best feature for busy birders. With a quick search of any US zip code, BirdCast provides “tonight’s migration forecast” and a “3-night migration forecast.” There is a “Subscribe to Alerts” feature that will let you know when birds are migrating through your area. This feature is fun for birders but can also serve as a reminder to turn off non essential outdoor lighting during migration. Bright lights at night can disorient birds. Disorientation potentially causes birds to fly into glass windows or other hazards.

Migration Dashboard

The newest tool in the BirdCast toolbelt allows users to type any state into the search bar and find estimates of the total number of birds migrating through, their directions, speeds, and altitudes. This is available from March 1 to June 15 for spring migration, and August 1 to November 15 for fall. This tool can show migration patterns in real time or provide a summary of any whole night since 2013.