The Journey North: Bird Migration Maps

Even though there is a foot of snow outside my window, I was asked several times last week about when different birds will start making their way north again.

There are several neat websites that follow bird migration up to Michigan:
The Journey North website studies wildlife migration and seasonal change. It tracks the coming of spring through the migration patterns of the Baltimore Oriole, Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and other birds and mammals. You can look at the past seasons to predict upcoming visits or watch the Spring 2010 maps as people report their sightings of birds on the way north.

The Purple Martin Conservation Association also has migratory maps. Several reports have already been submitted for sitings of the purple martins in the southern states.

And the website I check most frequently in the spring is Hummingbirds.net. The maps of the Migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are updated daily and like the other websites it has lots of useful information.

As a quick reference:

• Bluebirds are year round in mid-Michigan and can begin scouting out possible nesting sites as early as January.
• Robins are year round in mid-Michigan but you’ll see them more frequently in your yard~mid-February
• Red Winged Blackbirds ~ Beginning of March
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ April 15 (tax time)
• Purple Martin ~ mid-April
• Warblers ~mid-May

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