A Short History of NEXRAD

Interpreting NEXRAD Images of Bird Migration

BirdCast is a pilot radar ornithology project that focuses on the mid-Atlantic region. With the support of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development and the Office of Pesticide Programs, four partners - National Audubon Society, Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology, Clemson's Radar Ornithology Laboratory, and The Academy of Natural Science - are each contributing their expertise to this scientific and educational project.

From April 15 thru May 31, BirdCast will provide a daily NEXRAD snapshot of the region from New York to Virginia inclusively. These images will be accompanied by interpretation and migration predictions provided by the Clemson Lab. The Academy of Natural Sciences and the National Audubon Society provide you with information about the importance of the birds with which we share our environment in "Why You Should Care." Read Scott Weidensaul's "Wonder of Migration" and learn about the challenges that this awesome feat places before these delicate travelers. "How You Can Help" suggests ways that you can remove obstacles a migrating bird will encounter. You'll discover how to make your backyard healthier for all its residents.

And so, the science and the education are in place, but the BirdCast project needs a 6th partner - you. We need your assistance in "ground-truthing" the radar images. We would like to know what you are seeing as you watch the birds in your backyard or in your favorite birding spot from April 15 until May 31. Click on "Report Your Observations." Give us some important background information and then tell us how many birds of which species you have observed. Click "Submit" and you will have contributed to the better understanding of our migratory birds.

These observations will feed directly into BirdSource, an interactive database developed and maintained by National Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Your observations and similar sightings from throughout the region will be available at the site in real-time. By clicking the "Results" button, you will see the species and numbers that have been observed throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

So, BirdCast needs you. While we encourage all of you to post each and every sighting, of greatest value will be sightings coming from those who can afford the time to make regular observations. All of these data will greatly enhance our overall understanding of migration patterns and movements. And tell two friends about the project so that a few more migratory hazards can be removed as we work together to help the birds.