Migratory Bird Species
Student Operation for Avian Relief (SOAR)
Chicago lies on one of the main north-south migratory routes that crosses North America. Millions of birds fly through each spring, heading as far north as Alaska, and coming from places as far south as South America. In the fall they return south. This remarkable migration has been taking place for thousands of years, and it is only in the last few decades that these birds have had to navigate around tall buildings. Many of the species are confused by the buildings, or simply see right through the glass, and this leads to collisions.
The SOAR program has been monitoring these collisions since spring 2012. During that time we have found a total of XX species. These species are listed below, click on them to learn more about their natural history and migratory patterns.
