A global dataset of directional migration networks of migratory birds

The migration of birds plays a crucial role in connecting different ecosystems, facilitating the spread of diverse pathogens, which poses a significant threat to public health. At present, the realtime monitoring of bird migration is growing. However, the extent of connectivity between migratory areas of birds remains uncertain. Herein, we conducted a systematic review of Chinese and English literature published between 1990 and 2024 to extract spatiotemporal information on various bird species, which allowed us to identify migration times, breeding grounds, non-breeding grounds, and flyover areas of them at a subnational level, resulting in the creation of a global dataset of bird migration networks encompassing 93,401 geo-referenced records. These records cover 267 bird species and their 10,993 migratory routes across 170 countries or territories. Our dataset provides a overview of the global distribution of bird migrations across different species, revealing the geographical patterns of diverse migration routes. This facilitates further investigations into the underlying drivers of bird migration, as well as alterations in migration routes and their impacts on ecosystems.