About the Project
Ever wondered about which birds fly over your house at night while you’re sleeping during spring or fall migration? Your curiosity for nocturnal migration could contribute to a groundbreaking Indiana Audubon project. In spring 2024, we launched a pilot project to collect data on nocturnal flight calls and invited community members to take part in the effort.
Nocturnal flight calls (NFCs) are short, distinctive sounds made by some bird species during nighttime migration. These calls help birds stay together, avoid collisions, and communicate while flying in the dark. By studying NFCs, we can learn which species are migrating, when they’re on the move, and how their migration patterns shift over time.
Project Goals
Our primary goal is to raise awareness of Indiana’s role in the Mississippi Flyway—a major migration route that brings hundreds of millions of birds through our state each year. Each season, we train a small group of volunteers who help record and analyze NFCs using artificial intelligence (AI) and audio software. We provide the recording equipment, training, and ongoing support. Participants learn how to use the tools and interpret the data with guidance from IAS staff and members of the broader NFC community.
Project Requirements
Our data collection takes place in spring (March 15 – May 31) and fall (Aug. 15 – Oct. 31). Your recordings will be part of the eBird database, contributing to our state’s bird records. We’re keeping it flexible, asking you to record just one night per week during this period. Feel free to record on additional nights if you’re up for it!
Your tasks are pretty straightforward:
- Record NFCs from your rooftop or an accessible quiet space outdoors.
- Upload files and analyze your recordings with assistance from AI and fellow NFC recordists online.
- Input your sightings into eBird (see an example here) and attach some sound clips each week.
Hop on over to the Nocturnal Flight Calls Facebook group or Discord server for more insights. While not affiliated with Indiana Audubon, this community is the leading resource for NFC enthusiasts around the globe.
Join the Project
If you’re interested in helping to unravel bird migration mysteries through NFC monitoring, complete our online form linked below. For general questions about the project, email Whitney Yoerger at [email protected].
Selection Criteria
Participation in this project is open to active Indiana Audubon members. Due to its focus on NFCs, citizen science, and data collection, this project demands a high degree of technical proficiency, making it best suited for birders with strong technical skills. Familiarity with using Python environments is a plus, and having your own computer (whether it’s a Mac or PC) is a must.
Unfortunately, if you own a Google Chromebook or Apple iPad, you won’t be able to participate due to the technical specifications required for the AI software, Nighthawk. Some MacBooks are capable of running the Python environment, but check Nighthawk’s requirements and Python’s macOS requirements to confirm compatibility.
NFC Monitoring 101
Learn more about NFC monitoring before joining in. Download our First Steps document and detailed Project Guide to explore the process.
2024 & 2025 Data
View our eBird trip reports to see which species migrated over Indiana from month to month.
- Spring 2024: March, April, and May
- Fall 2024: August, September, and October
- Spring 2025: March, April, and May
- Fall 2025: August, September, and October
- Spring 2026: March, April, and May
Project Support
Echoes of the Night Sky research project support is provided by the Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation, with additional ARU project support by the Eclipse Soundscapes Project.
2025 program support includes a small grant from Sassafras Audubon Society, along with an Amos Butler Audubon Society Birdathon grant. We are also grateful for 2026 grant funding from Three Rivers Birding.
