Instructions for downloading the bird migration forecast
Go to https://aeroecolab.com/colorado.
- Left-click in the thumbnail image of the forecast day you need. The full-sized forecast map will appear.
- Right-click on the image and select “Save image as.” Give the file a name with the date in it, for example “20210219-today bird forecast map.jpg.”
If you also want tomorrow’s forecast:
- Left click the image under tomorrow’s date.
- Right-click the image, select “Save image as.” Give the file a name with the date in it, for example “20210220-tomorrow bird forecast map.jpg.”
Note: As the weather forecast changes, the bird migration forecasts for “tomorrow” will also change, so you’ll need to download a new image for “tonight” each day. Each day’s forecast includes three days: tonight, tomorrow night, and two nights from now.
Permissions: you may use the images for the current forecast with credit to Colorado State University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
To get graphics showing last night’s actual migration, based on live radar data
Go to https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/
There’s currently not a good option for downloading the movie loops, but you could capture a still image and use it. Just find the night’s peak and do a screen capture, then credit BirdCast if you use the image. Each night’s peak should be about 11 pm MT (1 am ET).
This stop-motion video shows a live migration snapshot every ten minutes over the previous hours, starting about 6:30 pm ET. So getting the video in the morning for the previous night’s migration is best. If you look late in the day, you may need to select the previous night’s date from the dropdown box above the map. The red line shows the location of sunset, and the peak migration activity should be between sunset and midnight.
