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Cornell Lab eNews

August 24, 2025

Shorebirds are starting their long fall migrations. Check your nearest riverbank, marsh, wet field, or shoreline today and see if you catch one on a refueling stop!

CLick or tap to watch a video of shorebirds feeding on Dauphin Island

Marbled Godwit on Dauphin Island, Alabama, by Andrew Haffenden / Macaulay Library.

Watch: A Feeding Frenzy With Respectful Boundaries

During migration, the right location can yield a shorebird bonanza. How do a dozen or more species stay out of each other's way when they're at a sandy beach buffet? Watch this video to see a plethora of feeding styles in action.

Click or tap to read about the endurance of migrating shorebirds

Whimbrels by Lev Frid / Macaulay Library.

Fitness Goals! We're Inspired by These Avian Endurance Athletes

Many shorebirds cross the globe twice a year, racking up 10,000+ miles each time. How do they meet this athletic challenge for the ages? This in-depth explanation is packed with beautiful maps and illustrations. Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of gorging.

Mystery bird by Kara Zanni / Macaulay Library.

What Bird Is This?

Mudflats, saltmarshes, sandy beaches, rocky beaches, sewage lagoons, river banks, farm fields: all of these and more are places to find this common shorebird during migration. Throughout August and September, this bird can be found in the Prairie Pothole region, the Mississippi River Valley, and along both coasts. Do you know the name of this bird?

Click or tap to view the BirdCast Migration Dashboard

Yellow-rumped Warbler by Manuel Grosselet / Macaulay Library.

Track Your Local Bird Migration

Keep your ears and eyes to the night skies and you might hear flight calls or catch a glimpse of a silhouette zipping across the moon. Visit the BirdCast Migration Dashboard for a summary of each night's migration over your county.

Click or tap to read about the hike to save the C&O Canal.

Great Egret on the Potomac River by

Mark Regan Photography.

Hiking to Save 184 Miles of Natural Beauty

In 1954, a nine-day hike organized by Justice William Douglas saved the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal from becoming a highway. Today it provides a glorious green respite for residents of Washington D.C. and beyond. Read about the adventure.

Bird News and Resources

Take a Birding Break: Enjoy a sample lesson from our online, self-paced course on shorebird identification.

Addressing the Shorebird Crisis: See how the Cornell Lab's Coastal Solutions Fellowship is innovating ways to help shorebirds and people throughout the Americas.

What's Up With That Bald Bird At My Feeder? Believe it or not, it's a normal part of some birds' feather-replacement process. Check it out.

Attend a Bird Festival: Festivals are a great way to enjoy birds and meet like-minded people. See our bird festival directory.

Upcoming Webinars:

Leaving Our Fall Gardens with Doug Tallamy.
September 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Register.

Searching for Lost Birds: rediscoveries, extinctions, and the potential to find the remaining species.
September 18 at 12:00 pm ET. Register.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.

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