United Nations and Cornell Launch Digital Atlas Mapping Critical Migratory Bird Corridors Across 56 American Nations

The Americas Flyways Atlas uses 2.2 billion data points to map critical bird habitats, providing a new blueprint for international conservation at CMS COP15.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 27, 2026, 9:15 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

A Digital Breakthrough for Avian Conservation Policy

The debut of the Americas Flyways Atlas at the UN wildlife conservation meeting in Campo Grande, Brazil, represents a technological shift in how nations track and protect shared biological heritage. By mapping the full annual journeys of 89 highly vulnerable species, the tool transforms abstract migratory patterns into actionable data for 56 countries. This initiative, a collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, provides an unprecedented look at the "invisible highways" that link the Canadian Arctic to Patagonia. According to CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel, the launch provides a major advancement for international cooperation, offering a foundation of evidence to identify and protect the specific sites birds depend on for survival.

Bridging Data Gaps With Global Citizen Science

The power of the new atlas is derived from an immense pool of data contributed by over one million citizen scientists through the eBird platform. By synthesizing more than 2.2 billion individual observations with advanced mathematical modeling, researchers have identified specific "Bird Concentration Areas" where CMS-listed species gather in significant numbers. These hotspots include essential breeding grounds, stopover points, and wintering sites that have previously remained poorly defined at a continental scale. Chris Wood of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that these millions of human observations, when combined with modern modeling, become an irrefutable tool for focused conservation, allowing partners to direct resources to the geographical areas where they will have the most significant impact.

The Fragility of Hemispheric Ecological Connections

The atlas arrives as many of the 622 migratory species across the Americas face steep population declines driven by habitat fragmentation and climate change. Featured species such as the Hudsonian godwit and the Cerulean warbler exemplify the risks inherent in long-distance migration, where the loss of a single wetland or forest patch can disrupt an entire lifecycle. The tool highlights that these birds rely on a chain of ecosystems that do not respect political boundaries, making the survival of an Arctic-breeding bird dependent on land use policies in South America. Without the v...