Cellular network measurements can unravel spatiotemporal properties of bird movement to enhance basic and applied knowledge globally

A major problem in studying bird movement in many countries is data scarcity, precluding information about the spatial and temporal properties of avian distribution and dynamics as well as their consequences for human lives. We address this problem by proposing an innovative approach based on the relation between counts of signal attenuation of wireless communication to the presence of birds across or near wireless links of cellular backhaul networks. Wireless point-to-point communication links, on either ground level or earth-satellite links, cover the globe. We statistically relate between signal attenuation in terrestrial Commercial Microwave Links (CMLs) and bird migration. Because modern communication systems measure and often log signal levels routinely, we propose using existing signal level measurements of cellular and other wireless communication systems around the world as sensors for monitoring bird movement. Using actual measurements from operational CMLs, we show that the daily cycle of signal attenuation during bird migration periods matched that of the water-bird migration traffic rate recorded by nearby bird radar. This demonstrates the potential of the proposed method for opportunistic bird movement monitoring by CMLs across the globe, with no additional hardware installation, maintenance, or communication costs.• Data deficiency is substantially hampering our knowledge of bird movement and its implications. By relating counts of signal attenuation of cellular communication networks to counts of migrating birds, we can opportunistically monitor bird movement with no installation, maintenance, or communication costs.• We propose that existing cellular network infrastructure can be used to characterize bird movement and demonstrate it by comparing attenuation distribution between spring (migration season) and summer (no migration season), and by relating hourly patterns of attenuation to the number of water birds counted by a nearby radar during spring migration in Southern Israel.• The further development and future application of this method could enhance our understanding of bird movement, including long-term monitoring, detection of phenological patterns and spatial gradients, as well as providing essential information for the mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts—especially bird–aircraft collisions at low altitudes by providing early warning of bird presence where radar coverage is limited.