Ticino is an important interalpine migration corridor, where every spring and fall more than 200 species of passerines, raptors, and waterbirds pass through and stop over, with millions of individuals in flight.

The first signs are already here; spring migration is already underway. This year, we’ll be able to study the incredible movements of migratory birds using new technology: a state-of-the-art ornithological radar.

Thanks to the use of this BirdRadar, installed in the Piano di Magadino area, it will be possible to track in real time the movements of migratory birds crossing the Ticino River. This device records the number of birds in flight, their direction of travel, altitude, and the intensity of migratory flows, providing extremely valuable data for scientific research. In fact, this BirdRadar also makes it possible to observe nocturnal migration, a phenomenon involving millions of birds but one that normally remains invisible to the human eye. Over 10,000 birds were counted by the radar last night from ground level up to 3,000 meters, which represents only a fraction of the birds passing over the Magadino Plain.

The project will therefore help improve scientific understanding of migration in this region and, at the same time, raise public awareness of the importance of conserving natural habitats.

Furthermore, by cross-referencing radar data with that from the numerous field observers, it will then be possible to determine what proportion of individuals use the Magadino Bubbles as a resting place compared to those simply passing through.

There are many other unanswered questions that we will try to address.

One of the most innovative aspects of the project is its aim to make this information accessible to the public through live visualizations of migratory patterns. This allows citizens, nature enthusiasts, students, and teachers to follow the migration patterns directly.

The real-time migration will be visible on the website on this page.