Space for Birds - Bird Migration

The Space for Birds research project, also known as "AMASS", is The Roberta Bondar Foundation's new project which tracks the migratory pathways of threatened and endangered avian species while integrating science and photography. AMASS stands for Avian Migration Aerial Surface Space, because the images captured for the project are taken from aircraft, the ground, and the International Space Station. Space for Birds focuses on seven bird species: Whooping Crane, Lesser Flamingo, Black-tailed Godwit, Piping Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot, and Sprague's Pipit - all migratory species that range from Near Threatened to Endangered and cross the globe during their journeys.

Birds migrate to access resources, find shelter for breeding, and to avoid inclement weather. Most operate on a seasonal cycle, with summering/breeding grounds and wintering grounds. Many birds respond to differences in light, temperature, or other environmental factors to signal the beginning of migration.

Birds migrate from their breeding/summering grounds (all in the Northern Hemisphere for Space for Birds' focal species) to their (Southern) wintering grounds. Along their migratory routes, most birds stop to rest and refuel at staging grounds. Migrations can cover any distance, but the Space for Birds species' journeys vary from 3,000 to 15,000 km one way.

However, some birds migrate only when necessary. Follow the button for Lesser Flamingos to learn more about this!

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly set a list of 17 Global Goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The UN also assigned the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) to help them achieve their timeline of meeting the targets for each goal by 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are listed below and are often referred to simply by their number (e.g. SDG 15). As you explore the Space for Birds Story Maps, keep a lookout for these numbers and check back here to remind yourself what they mean!

11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

This SDG focuses on efficient urban planning and management as the world becomes increasingly urbanized. This means using the land in a way that is advantageous for humans without putting a strain on the land and resources, either through over-exploitation or pollution.

12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

This SDG carries over from 11, with greater attention to resource and energy efficiency. This means "doing more and better with less" to reduce land degradation and air, water, and soil pollution. For this SDG to be a success, consumers have to be educated on what sustainable lifestyles look like and be provided with options to make better choices.

15 - Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

This SDG is all about terrestrial organisms, including birds. This SDG focuses on supporting impoverished communities so they have the ability to develop sustainably. The UN has also started the Lion's Share, an initiative that asks advertisers to donate 0.5% of media costs from ads that feature an animal - think of how many company names are animals (Puma, Red Bull, or Dove!)

Migrating birds not only have to contend with the physical feat of travelling to a distant place in a short amount of time but are also faced with natural and human hazards along the way. Click on a hazard below to learn more!

As you saw above, there are many hazards that migrating birds face, but two ecological traits can affect the severity of those risks. Firstly, species are often classified as either specialists or generalists. This refers to how picky they are about food, habitat, weather, etc. A specialist species might have a harder time finding food than a generalist that can eat a broader diet. For example, Lesser Flamingos primarily eat cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and they tend to stay where they can find it, rather than migrate. Whooping Cranes also have a preference for aquatic invertebrates (animals without a backbone), but when migrating they can eat grains from crops!

Secondly, a species' range impacts the degree to which they experience human development. If a species lives in Western Europe, which has a high concentration of people and few wild spaces, it will have to adapt to that environment to survive. Alternatively, a species living in Northern Canada may be able to find large areas without obvious human presence. Additionally, different continents have varied histories of human presence and development. As you will see in the Species StoryMaps, large, intensive agriculture and city building started earlier in Afro-Eurasia than in the Americas. For example, the North American Sprague's Pipit's migratory corridor was not urbanized in 1700, but the Afro-Eurasian Black-tailed Godwit already lived in/near human cities and farms at that time. Therefore, species from the Americas have had less time to evolve to live in these new landscapes.

The map below shows what the Earth looks like at night, with all of its cities and towns lit up. The green shapes are Global Biodiversity Hotspots. These are areas with higher than normal endemic species (species that exist nowhere else), that are losing their habitats due to human habitation (SDG 15). All of the Space for Birds focal species use at least one Biodiversity Hotspot as a breeding, staging, or wintering ground. These are areas that should be a top priority for conservation, but also for restoration. Conservation is often thought of as protecting the natural habitat and species that still exist in an area, while restoration helps recover an ecosystem that has been degraded or destroyed. By using both, even species on the brink of extinction have a chance of coming back!

Now that you know the basics of migration, learn how each bird species' migratory journey and challenges differ!

To learn more about the Space for Birds Project check out our website and social medias!