Animated Shorebird Migration Route

When we see shorebirds, they may be staying for the season, or they may be just stopping on their way to somewhere else. Their migration routes are fascinating.

Perhaps you’ve wondered where the shore birds you see along the coast spend the rest of their time, and what routes they take to get there. If you live along the eastern coast of North America you can learn about the migration routes of a number of familiar shorebirds by visiting the website of the Goldenrod Foundation.

Follow the link that says “Click Here to See Shorebird Migration Routes”, and you’ll be treated to a list of fifteen different eastern shorebirds, all of which either nest at Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts, or stop there on migration. Try the Red Knot: the globe fills the screen and a white silhouette of a bird traces the Red Knot’s migration route north from Argentina to the Arctic and back by a different route. The species stops at Plymouth Beach on its journey south. The Piping Plover, which nests at Plymouth Beach, spends the winter in various locations in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, and on Caribbean islands – delightfully illustrated by the animated migration route created by the Goldenrod Foundation.

These animated maps don’t give an accurate account of the migrations of entire bird populations—just the ones that stop at Plymouth Beach. Other populations of the same species may nest and winter in other locations. Still, the maps are interesting and fun as long as you keep this in mind.

Other fascinating birding activities on the internet:

Bird Cinema

Track a Short-eared Owl