Spring Migration Is Upon Us: Here Is What You Should Know

By: Frankie Pelliteir

Spring migration has arrived, and hundreds of thousands of birds will be passing through Southwest Virginia in the next two months. According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginians can expect to see about 34 species of warblers, along with other neotropical songbirds, as they make their journey back to North America after wintering in Central and South America. 

Spring migration is a great time to get outside and explore the wide world of birds and nature in Southwest Virginia as the plants come back to life and new birds pass through. Some bird species, such as Blackburnian Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers and Northern Parulas, will even stop here to breed and raise their young until fall migration comes. 

For beginner birders, or anyone who wants a little extra information about the new and old birds around them, there are some helpful online resources that provide additional information. Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides multiple free resources, such as BirdCast, in which bird migration data is stored and shared. The website includes information such as approximately how many birds crossed Virginia the previous night, their flight direction, speed and the altitude at which migrating birds were flying. 

Cornell Lab of Ornithology also has a handy app named Merlin Bird ID with which users can record the sounds around them, and the app will identify nearby birds based on their call. This is a great resource for beginner birders and anyone who struggles with bird song or bird call identification.

If identifying birds by their looks and behaviors is more appealing, the Audubon app, like Merlin Bird ID, allows users to choose what region they are located in. Users can then use the app to narrow down what bird they might have seen based on size, color, type, activity etc. and learn more information about the bird they saw, its habitat and its various behaviors. 

With so many beautiful, interesting birds passing through the New River Valley in the coming months, now is a great time to get outside and learn a little more about the world around you.