Applying Remote Sensing to

Avian Research
Using NEXRAD Technology to
Study Neotropical Bird Migration

By: Amanda Turek

Andrew Walton
 Facts About Neotropical Bird
Migration
What is a neotropical bird?

Why do these birds migrate?

 Why do we care about their
migration?
Placement of cell towers, wind
turbines, and most appropriate
airplane routes
High cost of bird strikes
to aviation industry

Protection of key
stopover sites
Major North American Flightways
The common
highways that different
bird species use for
their unique migration
routes
4 major flightways:
Atlantic
Mississippi
Central
Pacific
 Using Radar to Detect Migration
Radar: Radio Detection And Ranging
Uses microwave part of electromagnetic spectrum
(1cm-100cm)
Active sensor (allowing data collection at night- birds
fly at night during migration!)
 Doppler Radar
Doppler Effect discovered by
Austrian scientist Christian
Doppler in 1842

Doppler Effect = the physical

phenomenon marked by
change in frequency
dependent on the motion of
an object toward or away from
a point
 Doppler Radar (contd)
Is primarily a weather radar
Projects radio waves from
an antenna
Objects in the air scatter
the waves back
Rain, snow, hail
Dust & particulates
Insects, bats, BIRDS
Measures change in
frequency of scattered
waves
 NEXRAD
Next Generation Weather Radars
A.k.a. 88D
 NEXRAD (contd)

Maximum range: 143 miles

2 modes
Precipitation Mode
Clear Air Mode
 Using NEXRAD to Detect Birds

How to tell birds from precipitation (in Clear Air

Mode):
Frequency
Light rain 5-10 dBZ
Birds <30 dBZ
(Severe Thunderstorm 45-50 dBZ Precipitation Mode only)
Velocity
Direction
Precipitation Mode
Clear Air Mode
Detecting
Velocity
 Conclusion

NEXRAD and GIS have been

successfully combined to
produce maps of key stopover
sites in need of protection.

"One man's meat is another

man's poison"
paraphrased
One scientist's contamination is
another scientist's data.
 Acknowledgements
Airforce Link website: http://www.af.mil/news/airman/1298/birds2.htm

Aviation Safety Division website: http://www.afsafety.af.mil/AFC/Bash/home.html

Bird Migration: http://www.birdnature.com/migration.html

College of Dupage; Next Generation Weather Lab, Understanding Velocity Data

webpage: http://weather.cod.edu/notes/radar/velocity.mainpage.html

Dr. Nancy French, Intro to Imaging Radar Basics, lecture 16: 2004

Smithsonian National Zoological Park website:

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Fact_Sheets/defau
lt.cfm?fxsht=9

The Nutty Birdwatcher, North American Migration Flyways,

http://www.birdnature.com/flyways.html

The New Jersey Audubon Society website: http://www.njaudubon.org

Willams, Jack. The USA Today Weather Book

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wdoppler.htm