Bicknell's Thrush Race to the Atlantic!

It’s that time of year. Our researchers are eagerly watching to see when migratory birds like Bicknell’s Thrush will start their perilous journey south to Latin America. But we figured… why hoard all the fun for ourselves? For the second year, we’re inviting you to join us! (And support VCE’s Bicknell’s Thrush research while you’re at it.)

Which Bicknell’s Thrush will leave the U.S. East Coast first?

This September, our scientists tagged 17 Bicknell’s Thrushes near the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain. As these birds, fitted with tiny receiver backpacks, leave the mountain, they will ping Motus towers from New England to the Mid-Atlantic region and the Coastal Carolinas, where they’ll spend two weeks resting and fattening up. Then, one-by-one, under the cover of night, they’ll leave the safety of dry land to make a break for Hispaniola, more than 1,400 miles over the ocean.

They’ll ping one last Motus tower when they leave. And that ping is what we’re looking for. Here’s how to get in on the action:

Step 1: Pick your favorite bird.
This is no fantasy team—they’re real-life, threatened (but determined!) birds with color bands, little backpacks with Motus tags, and unique numbers. Community members have donated enough to deploy tags and have named the birds. As VCE scientists were tagging the birds this September, they carefully measured each one. See the birds’ names, descriptions, and stats.

Step 2: Put some money behind it.
Half of the Bicknell’s Thrush population has been lost in the past 15 years. Your contribution helps us fund crucial research into the threats they face, and help us craft effective conservation action for Bicknell’s Thrushes and other migratory songbirds. Donate now!

Step 3: Follow along.
As the tagged Bicknell’s Thrushes take flight, they’ll ping a series of Motus towers down the East Coast to the Mid-Atlantic and Coastal Carolinas. The data will be updated (with some lag) on our BITH Race map. The first tagged Bicknell’s Thrush from Mount Mansfield to ping a coastal tower at night, indicating it has headed out over the ocean, wins the race. We will announce the winning bird when all the data from Motus towers have been processed by our researchers. 

Step 4: Collect your prize.
Anyone who has picked the winning bird gets custom merchandise from VCE featuring a Bicknell’s Thrush illustration, the winning bird’s number, the coastal Motus tower it pinged, and the date it pinged it. The merch you might receive (if you picked correctly!) depends on your level of giving. Check out the merch.