As we enter the most active period of bird migration, you can check live migration maps and other valuable information provided by BirdCast across the contiguous United States. This daily information is filed to be available to refer to anytime for any given night or day – and it's all free and available online 24-7. Using weather radar to detect the numbers and flight directions of migrating birds, BirdCast provides information to birders in a number of different ways, most notably on their Live Migration Map and Local Migration Dashboard. There are also 2 migration forecasting programs: Migration Forecasts and Migration Alerts, both of which look 3 days into the future.
Take a look at BirdCast's 4 primary migration webpages: Live Migration Map - BirdCast and Local Migration Dashboard, which are remarkable resources for every birder to use; as are the migration forecasting sites, Bird Migration Forecast Maps - BirdCast and Local Migration Alerts. You can check in anytime for live information, or to check back on past migration maps or information.
When monitoring migration on the live map, it is helpful to understand that most birds begin to migrate 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, with many actively migrating 2 to 3 hours later, although there are obvious deviations from this pattern night to night and day to day. Simply click on the arrow at the bottom of the map to see a 24-hour loop of the Live Migration Map on the date listed. You can learn more about BirdCast and all it has to offer throughout spring and fall migrations at Spring Migration 2026 Begins – With a Fresh New Look – BirdCast