Migratory Pathways for Birds
Flyways—the life giving, ancient pathways for birds from their breeding grounds to wintering areas—are an integral part of the bird migration story.
The Pacific Americas Flyway, spanning from Alaska to the tip of South America, supports millions of migratory birds. Western Sandpiper, Pacific Loon, Pacific Brant, and hundreds of other species follow this general north-south route in spring and fall. Some of our other breeding birds, such as Sandhill Crane, Lesser Scaup and Greater White-fronted Goose, migrate further to the east along the Central or Mississippi Flyways.
The Bar-tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden-Plover, and Bristle-thighed Curlew, among others, take a different route and travel the West Pacific and East Asian-Australasian Flyways. These journeys take them across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean.
Some birds cannot be pinned down to one or even two flyways. The Blackpoll Warbler breeds in the boreal forest, then migrates east across Canada before dropping south to the Atlantic Ocean and over to South America, and the Northern Wheatear visits both Alaska and Africa during its annual migration.
Wherever they land, birds need healthy habitats to sustain them. Pacific Birds is working with partners to assess where those habitats are and to identify the key conservation actions that will allow our birds to continue making their epic migrations.
Flyway Highlights
EXPLORE THE PACIFIC FLYWAY Alaska: Headwaters of the Flyway
For many migratory bird species, Alaska is the northern apex of an annual migration. Just as headwaters represent the source of rivers and streams, Alaska is where abundant bird life originates and flows outward across the globe. More specifically, it plays a unique and vital role in the annual journey of migratory birds, serving as the “headwaters” of multiple flyways. It is a place where birds travel each year, where they can rely on abundant food resources and diverse habitats in which to rest, refuel, find a mate, make their nest, and raise the next generation.
Flyway News
