Weather radar can help track Australia’s birds 

Using weather radar, scientists in Australia can count migrating birds and determine the direction they’re traveling. In a recent study, lead author Xu Shi, a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, used weather radar and found that Australian birds migrate during the day, unlike birds in the northern hemisphere. “Birdwatchers have known for a long time that some Australian birds migrate, but never before have we been able to study the phenomenon so clearly,” Shi said. “Weather radars can tell us how many birds are flying, when and in which direction they’re moving.” Researchers hope that this discovery can help wildlifers develop conservation measures to protect birds. 

Read more from the University of Queensland.  

Photo: Weather radar can help scientists track Australian birds like the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis). Credit: Bernard Spragg