Dataset for "A continental system for forecasting bird migration"

This submission contains data and code associated with the following journal article:A continental system for forecasting bird migrationBenjamin M. Van Doren and Kyle G. HortonPublished in Sciencehttp://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7526Abstract: Billions of animals cross the globe each year during seasonal migrations, but efforts to monitor them are hampered by the unpredictability of their movements. We developed a bird migration forecast system at a continental scale by leveraging 23 years of spring observations to identify associations between atmospheric conditions and bird migration intensity. Our models explained up to 81% of variation in migration intensity across the United States at altitudes of 0-3000 m, and performance remained high when forecasting events 1-7 days in advance (62-76% variation explained). Avian migratory movements across the United States likely exceed 500 million individuals per night during peak passage. Bird migration forecasts will reduce collisions with buildings, airplanes, and wind turbines, inform a variety of monitoring efforts, and engage the public.