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.
World Flyway Map
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 News
A Collection of Stories: Shorebird Conservation Across the Pacific Flyway
The Pacific Shorebird Conservation Initiative recently developed a collection of stories about the partnership’s conservation work across the Western Hemisphere.
Safeguarding Biodiversity in British Columbia
Two recent projects in coastal British Columbia will help maintain biodiversity and conserve estuary habitats prioritized in a Joint Venture estuary ranking project.
American Wigeon
Millions of American Wigeon are on the move to their breeding habitats in Alaska and Canada. Learn more about these relatively secretive dabbling ducks.
