Monitoring bird migration by weather radar

Spatiotemporal information on bird migration is of invaluable use to scientists and society alike, but so far no sensor networks have been established that can monitor bird movement continuously over large areas. In aviation bird migration information is important for improving flight safety. Especially military low level flying has a high risk of en-route bird strikes and spatial bird migration information is essential for generating reliable flight warnings to pilots. Comprehensive monitoring of bird migration at continental scales can also provide insight into migration patterns and the impact on migratory flight of synoptic scale factors like weather and orography.