By ABA Young Birder, Zealon Wight-Maier
With the arrival of spring and autumn in eastern North America, billions of neotropical songbirds fill the night sky. During their migration, birds are watched, counted, and monitored by millions of people throughout the Americas. In the eastern United States, a network of migration counts centered around New England count and monitor passerines participate in diurnal reorientation known as “morning flight.” Unlike much of the coastal Northeast, migration counts are nearly absent in the Appalachian Mountains. Establishing morning flight counts throughout Appalachia would not only provide valuable data regarding migratory bird systematics in the region, but it would also help recognize and protect high-concentration sites where wind farms and other developments could have detrimental effects on migratory birds.
Bird migration is well understood by most people, regardless of their commitment to ornithology. Morning flight, however, is a term foreign to even most bird watchers. Morning flight refers to the diurnal reorientation made by nocturnally migrating passerine birds. In coastal regions, the reasons behind morning flight are relatively straightforward: migratory birds drift over the ocean during the night. In the morning, realizing that they are over open water, the birds re-orientate to the closest point of land they can find. In places such as Cape May New Jersey, diurnal reorientation has been well studied with multiple annual morning flight counts. In Appalachia, this is not the case. At the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory (AFMO) in West Virginia, George Hall theorized that “birds come to rest sometime during the hours of darkness and then resume their flight well after sunrise” in an attempt to re-orientate to their desired location. Although Appalachia has hosted plenty of hawkwatches, only one morning flight count has ever been established.
Even though morning flight in Appalachia is less well understood than that of coastal regions, it does not discount its importance. Many taiga-breeding warblers, including Cape May, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warbler have a more ubiquitous presence inland than coastally. A quick look at eBird’s high counts for New Jersey compared to West Virginia validate this take. West Virginia has higher counts of all three of the mentioned species, despite New Jersey having over 1.3 million more checklists (eBird). At the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory (AFMO) in West Virginia, more Black-throated Blue, Blackpoll, and Blackburnian Warblers have been banded than anywhere else in the world. At AFMO, hobbyist birders have also observed nationwide high counts for Blackburnian Warbler in morning flight. Also at AFMO, warbler species including Cape May, Tennessee, and Blackburnian regularly fly by in the triple-digits. At coastal locations such as Cape May’s Higbee Beach Morning Flight Songbird Count, high numbers of these species are rare. The lack of passerine migration counts in Appalachia means that the migration systematics of species that migrate more heavily inland are less well known. Nonetheless, the region’s only morning flight count has provided insightful information regarding Appalachian songbird migration.
Dan’s Rock Bird Count is the first and only morning flight count in the Appalachians. It was started in 2022 by the Maryland Biodiversity Project to count and monitor passerine migration along an Appalachian ridge. Dan’s Rock sits at the highest point (2,898′) in Allegheny County, Maryland, on the NE/SW running Allegheny Front. For the past three years, migration counters have observed migrating birds for at least three hours after sunrise from Aug. 1 through Nov. 30. Being the region’s first passerine migration count, it has provided many valuable insights into Appalachian songbird migration. Some of the most interesting findings at Dan’s Rock include the hypothesis that the “morning flight” observed there is continued migration rather than diurnal reorientation. At Dan’s Rock, there is no “coastline or other large migration barriers to disrupt migration and funnel migrants” (Engstrom). Other known inland morning flight locations like Bear Divide in California or the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory in West Virginia have terrain that consolidates birds. At Bear Divide, birds funnel through a mountain pass flanked by high peaks on each side. At AFMO, westerly winds force birds to fly just below the east-facing ridge until they get to a ravine like the one where the bird banding station is located. Once here, birds are able to cross the ridge with less wind resistance. Dan’s Rock, on the other hand, is merely a good observation point along the ridge. Although this creates less bird concentration, Dan’s Rock could be a control site if more morning flight counts are established in the region. Having these baseline counts can provide insight into how concentration sites change species composition.
To obtain the most valuable data for science and conservation, more morning flight counts should be installed throughout the Appalachians. Recognizing potential sites requires the knowledge of what makes for a good count site. While a location’s exact factors will vary to a degree, there are some common elements among most inland morning flight hotspots. During his research on how the northern Appalachian Mountains affect bird migration, Timothy C. Williams concluded that “differences in direction of migration may be due to both topography and altitude, but not local winds.” While Williams was right in observing that geography is a key factor for Appalachian morning flight, he may have underestimated the importance of local winds in determining flight direction. Collective observations made at AFMO reveal that wind is always a determining factor for morning flight. Generally, strong flight only occurs “on days when the wind blows from the northwest quadrant,” whereas nearly zero morning flight happens on days when east winds blow (Hall, Bell). Geographically, “mountain ranges mould, deflect and channel migratory bird fluxes” (Hirschhoffer). This can be in the form of valleys in prominent mountain ranges funneling migratory birds. At Ridge Junction overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, high counts of passerines in morning flight have been observed where the broad north-facing valley funnels to a high elevation ridge. Another potentially good indicator is prominent ridges with “cuts” or ravines such as the one where AFMO is situated. Locations with this geography may be more wind and habitat-dependent than the former, though, and many need in-person investigation to make a certain call. As morning flight counts expand throughout Appalachia, it will be valuable to recognize what makes a morning flight hotspot. For now, though, efforts should be focused on well known hotspots in the region.
One of the most promising locations for an Appalachian morning flight station is the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory. In the late 1950s, members of the Brooks Bird Club noticed strong flights of songbirds during their hawkwatch counts at Bear Rocks Preserve. This prompted naturalist Ralph K. Bell to begin banding at the nearby Red Creek Campground. During a hike, Bell observed hundreds of warblers streaming up a cut in the Allegheny Front. In 1958, he put up a couple of mist nets at the newly discovered site. Seeing the success of the location, all banding operations were moved to the current AFMO site. Since then, AFMO has gained attention for its outstanding morning flight which has been observed by bird watchers and ornithologists alike. However, a proper morning flight count has never been installed. Comparing data collected at AFMO to that from Dan’s Rock shows a striking difference. During the past three years, the top three highest warbler counts at Dan’s Rock are the Cape May Warbler (491), the Blackpoll Warbler (167), and the Yellow-rumped Warbler (84) (eBird). At AFMO the top three highest warbler counts are Blackpoll Warbler (1275), Cape May Warbler (585), and Blackburnian Warbler (259) (eBird). Even with AFMO’s limited coverage, a quick look at this data shows that it could be a much more informative site than Dan’s Rock.
Establishing a morning flight count at the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory would benefit not only the station but the Appalachian ornithological community as a whole. To begin with, having a morning flight count running coherently with a banding station would provide more data than solely operating a banding station. Comparing data from the morning flight count to the banding station could permit a more in-depth analysis of topics such as how wind affects the height of migrating passerines. A migration count provides a baseline for banding operations to observe what percentage of birds are caught vs the total in flight. Obtaining a more accurate view of species numbers and composition would also provide better insight into long-term species trends of migratory songbirds. This enables data collected from AFMO to be compared to other morning flight stations across the east. From an outreach standpoint, establishing Allegheny Front as a migration count could act as a steppingstone in the region, providing a layout for similar projects in the future.
Perhaps the most important part of establishing Appalachian morning flight stations is the conservation aspect. In the Appalachians, migratory birds arguably face fewer man-made obstacles than much of the eastern US. Nonetheless, development, coal mining, and wind farms are imposing risks to migrating birds. Of the three risks listed above, wind farms pose perhaps the most direct threat to migratory passerines. Gaining a better understanding of morning flight hotspots through migration monitoring stations could help prevent harmful and improper placement of windmills. In Spain, poor placement of windmills “built in topographical bottlenecks where large numbers of migrating and local birds fly” resulted in disproportionately high mortality (Kikuchi). Preventing a situation like this from happening in Appalachia will take proper planning and data gained from morning flight counts.
Creating conservation plans in coalition with Appalachian morning flight counts can be a challenging process. However, with a successful plan, conservation effects could last well into the future. One ambitious plan would mean establishing morning flight counts at every proposed wind farm site to monitor and see if the site has disproportionately high migration intensity and requires conservation. Some may argue that this is unfeasible because of limited time and resources and the fact that “there is no guarantee that migration routes will not vary” (Kikuchi). However, with better knowledge of Appalachian morning flight, we will be able to identify which locations need the most monitoring. Monitoring morning flight in Appalachia could also help recognize and protect daytime stopover sites for migrants. Observing flight direction of passerines and changes in habitat type could help identify what stopover habitat is most valuable to at-risk species. Finally, Appalachian morning flight counts can be used to improve community outreach. Migration counters at Cape May Bird Observatory are often accompanied by an interpretive naturalist. These naturalists interpret what the counter is seeing and provide background information on why the count is taking place and what value it provides to science. An interpretive naturalist can inspire the visitor’s passion for nature and birds, creating more conservation-minded people.
Apart from their direct conservation aspect, establishing more Appalachian morning flight counts would provide avian field technician jobs to skilled birders and ornithologists alike. Morning flight counts could help both seasoned and new field technicians enhance their birding skills and pass down their knowledge to others. Sharing knowledge and inspiring young and new birders is one of the best ways to create a conservation-minded community. Apart from making a better community of birders, Appalachian morning flight counts could help establish the Appalachians as a destination for birders, which in turn would provide more conservation pressure and eco-tourism in the state. Because of the many positive opportunities that morning flight counts create, there are few reasons to disagree with the installation of them throughout Appalachia.
Protecting the earth and its inhabitants should be the main goal of all. Starting in the industrial revolution and continuing to this day, the Earth’s resources were and are taken without any thought to the well-being of the planet or its fauna and flora. This has left earth scarred and endangered nearly every kind of organism, including birds. Establishing Appalachian morning flight counts is just a small step towards a future where birds no longer need our protection. Using these counts to spread the joy of birds while obtaining data for bigger conservation projects isn’t just for the birds, but for the people as a piece to a better future.
Zealon Wight-Maier is a high schooler and outdoor enthusiast from Morgantown, West Virginia. His passion for birds started at a young age and over time has developed into a deep appreciation for visible bird migration and the diverse Appalachian biome. Away from birding, Zealon enjoys many adventure sports, especially mountain biking.
Works Cited
eBird. “EBird – Discover a New World of Birding…” eBird.Org, ebird.org. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Engstrom, Carl. “Dans Rock Fall Migration Count: 2022 Season Report.”Maryland Birdlife, vol. 22, no. 1, 2023, https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/docs/engstrom_2023.pdf.
Hall, George A, and Ralph K Bell. “The diurnal migration of passerines along an Appalachian ridge.” American Birds, vol. 35, no. 2, Mar. 1981, https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nab/v035n02/p00135-p00138.pdf.
Hirschhofer, Simon, et al. “High‐intensity bird migration along Alpine valleys calls for protective measures against anthropogenically induced avian mortality.” Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, vol. 10, no. 3, 4 Jan. 2024, pp. 360–373, https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.377.
Kikuchi, Ryunosuke. “Adverse impacts of wind power generation on collision behaviour of birds and anti-predator behaviour of squirrels.” Journal for Nature Conservation, vol. 16, no. 1, Mar. 2008, pp. 44–55, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2007.11.001.
Williams, Timothy C., et al. “Bird migration through a mountain pass studied with high resolution radar, ceilometers, and census.” The Auk, vol. 118, no. 2, 1 Apr. 2001, p. 389, https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0389:bmtamp]2.0.co;2.
