Three different kinds of migration information
Live movement means radar is detecting birds aloft now or during the most recent night. A forecast predicts the intensity of nocturnal movement. Seasonal occurrence means a species is commonly reported in a region during a part of the year. Those are related, but they are not interchangeable.
| Claim | Best evidence | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| “Heavy migration is happening tonight.” | BirdCast live radar or a current county dashboard. | It does not identify every species on the ground. |
| “Migration may be heavy tonight.” | BirdCast forecast maps and local weather. | A forecast is not a completed observation. |
| “This bird is usually present here in May.” | eBird bar charts, range maps, and local records. | It does not guarantee the bird is at a particular park today. |
| “This species was reported nearby.” | Recent eBird checklists or a verified WildPins sighting. | A report may be misidentified and should be evaluated in context. |
How WildPins verifies a migration feature
- Check BirdCast. For a live or forecast claim, record the dashboard or map, date, time, and geographic area.
- Check occurrence records. Use eBird Explore to see whether the species is regularly or recently reported in the broader region.
- Check an authoritative species account. Confirm identification, habitat, and migration behavior with a source such as Cornell All About Birds, Birds of the World, a state wildlife agency, or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
- Use local confirmation when possible. Regional bird clubs, hawk watches, nature centers, and state reports can explain conditions that a national map may not capture.
- Publish the review date. A statement such as “Migration is heavy tonight” becomes stale quickly and must never remain displayed as if it were current.
What BirdCast actually measures
BirdCast’s live maps use the U.S. weather-radar network to show nocturnal migration between sunset and sunrise. Forecast maps predict migration intensity for birds in active flight; they do not predict how many birds will be resting on the ground at a particular park. Forecasts are updated regularly during BirdCast’s published migration-tool seasons.
WildPins should never turn “birds are moving over the county” into “this species is at this exact location.” Radar, species occurrence, and ground observations answer different questions.
Western New York workflow
For a Buffalo-area feature, WildPins should use a broad label such as Western New York or Erie County. First review the local BirdCast dashboard or map, then compare recent eBird observations, then check a species account. A final card should show the source names and the date it was reviewed.
Visitor checklist
- Check the information timestamp.
- Confirm whether it says live, forecast, recent report, or seasonal pattern.
- Do not travel to a private or sensitive site based on an approximate pin.
- Do not crowd a rare bird or publish a nest’s exact location.
- Report a questionable identification instead of repeating it as fact.