Landbird Migration in the American West: Recent Progress and Future Research Directions

Our knowledge of avian behaviors during the nonbreeding period still lags behind that of the breeding season, but the last decade has witnessed a proliferation in research that has yielded significant progress in understanding migration patterns of North American birds. And, although historically the great majority of migration research has been conducted ill the eastern half of the continent, there has been much recent progress on aspects of avian migration in the West. In particular, expanded use of techniques Such as radar, plasma metabolites, mist-netting, count Surveys, stable isotopes, genetic data, and animal tracking, Coupled with an increase in multi-investigator collaborations, have all contributed to this growth of knowledge. There is increasing recognition that migration is likely the most limiting time of year for migratory birds, increasing the importance of continuing to decipher patterns of stopover ecology, identifying critical stopover habitats, and documenting migration routes in the diverse and changing landscapes of the American West. Here, we review and briefly synthesize the latest findings and advances in avian migration and consider research needs to guide future research on migration in the West.