Published: 05/17/2023

World Migratory Bird Day 2023 highlights impact of the growing water crisis on migratory birds

BOULDER/BONN/INCHEON, 13 May 2023 – Water and its importance to migratory birds – and the increasing threats to both water quality and quantity -  is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.

Body Adaptations

Loons have evolved to be highly specialized for life in the water. They have a number of adaptations that minimize resistance and reduce drag, making them fast and agile when swimming and diving and enabling them to be excellent fishers. Anyone who has seen a loon in the water knows how impressive their swimming ability is—it is not uncommon for a loon to dive and resurface hundreds of feet away from where it was last seen in a short amount of time.

Western Monarchs Update

Finally! After weeks of concern over their absence, monarchs appear. Many monarchs are now visiting gardens in Southern California and also in the Southwest as a new generation ecloses and spreads their wings to continue the journey north and east in the region.

Published: 05/10/2023

Migrating Monarchs

The leading edge of monarch migration from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic still is hovering around latitude 40-42°N, though a few early observations have been recorded around 44-45°N. Along the East Coast, monarchs are making slow progress northward, with a few reports coming in as far north as Massachusetts:

Isobelle in Millis, MA: "Seen at Cedariver reserve" (05/06/2023)

Western Monarchs Update

Warming temperatures and fair skies helped increase the number of monarch sightings this week, especially in California. This is a trying time when many overwintering monarchs are reaching the end of their life but their offspring are often hidden as immatures – eggs, larvae, or pupae - on milkweed or nearby plants.