<b>A</b><b>global dataset of directional</b><b>migration</b><b>networks of migratory birds</b>

The migration of birds plays a crucial role in connecting different ecosystems, facilitatingthe 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 ofChinese and English literature published between 1993 and 2023 to extract detailed spatiotemporal information on various bird species, which allowed us to identify migration times, starting points, terminations, and pathways of them at a subnational level, resulting in the creation of a global dataset of bird migration networks encompassing 42,844 geo-referenced records. These records cover 112 bird species and their 1,454 migratory routes across 189 countries or territories. Our dataset provides a comprehensive overview of the global distribution of bird migrations across different families, revealing the geographical patterns of diverse migration behaviors. This facilitates further investigations into the underlying drivers of bird migration, as well as alterations in migration routes and their impacts on ecosystems.