Feathers in Flight

Billions of birds migrate annually across the Western Hemisphere, but if we don’t know where they go when they leave their breeding grounds, how can we protect them? By extracting DNA from individual feathers, researchers are mapping bird migration with greater precision than ever before. The result is the Bird Genoscape Project, and it’s revolutionizing bird conservation by connecting migratory birds – and the people who care about them – across the Americas.

SJV partners including Southern Sierra Research Station’s Research Director and long-time Science Working Group member, Mary Whitfield, has been contributing to the project with her extensive research on the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax trailii extimus).

Mary Whitfield surveys for Southwestern Willow Flycatcher © Days Edge Productions.

The Bird Genoscape Project was featured in a stunning short documentary, Feathers in Flight, produced by Neil Loisin at Day’s Edge Productions, with funding from the National Geographic, about the importance of understanding the full annual cycle of migratory birds. Check it out to learn more and see Mary in action!