Welcome, students! This is your go-to landing page for all of the resources you will need when completing the Follow That Bird! lessons. Use the menu below to access bird profiles, tracking device readings, live bird-tracking data and bird-tracking maps.

Teachers: Welcome to Follow That Bird! A Science and Technology Unit on Tracking Birds. Download the lesson plans here.
A brown pelican, with a gray-brown body, white neck and head, and long bill

Introduction to Migratory Birds ›

Many migratory birds make fantastic voyages each year. Migration describes the regular annual movements that some animals make between regions where they breed and locations where they spend the rest of the year.

Aluminum and colored bird bands (yellow, purple, orange and green) used for tagging and re-sighting birds.

Tracking Devices ›

Scientists use different types of tracking technologies to determine the location of a bird at a given point in time.

Follow That Bird! Teacher Resources ›

Download lesson plans for Follow That Bird! A Science and Technology Unite on Tracking Birds. This inquiry-based unit teaches core middle-school science concepts through student exploration of the tools used by Smithsonian scientists to track birds, the data they collect and how new information is used for conservation.

A long-billed curlew flying over a body of water with green hills in the background

Follow That Bird! Species Profiles ›

Read about different migratory bird species, such as the Pacific loon and the brown pelican.

A gray catbird in a researchers hand. It has colored bands around its ankles.

The Full Annual Cycle of Migratory Birds ›

Learn about the full annual cycle, which describes a migratory bird’s ecology across the year, including breeding, migration and overwintering periods.