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So many migratory birds flock to Key West you can barely see island on radar

Migration happened overnight

Key West migratory birds (National Weather Service)

The radar was busy in Key West but not because of the weather.

So many migratory birds flocked to Key West overnight Sunday that they showed up on the radar, according to the National Weather Service.

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“Key West radar had a busy night, but not because of weather! The most impressive display of migratory birds so far this year occurred overnight Sunday," National Weather Service officials said in a Facebook post,

The radar shows different colors that show the difference between the birds and the weather.

“This product distinguishes between biological targets (birds) shown in green/yellow and meteorological targets (showers and rain) depicted in darker blues. The birds first appear on radar as they depart from Cuba and emerge in the Florida Straits, disappearing below the radar towards dawn as they reach mainland Florida.” The NWS said.

The radar time-lapse imagery shows a span of 10.5 hours.

📡 Key West radar had a busy night, but not because of weather! The most impressive display of migratory birds so far this year occurred overnight Sunday. This product distinguishes between biological targets (birds) shown in green/yellow and meteorological targets (showers and rain) depicted in darker blues. The birds first appear on radar as they depart from Cuba and emerge in the Florida Straits, disappearing below the radar towards dawn as they reach mainland Florida. The time lapse imagery spans 10.5 hours. If you look closely you can see a smaller batch of birds depart the Keys at the beginning of the loop. 🐦

Posted by US National Weather Service Key West Florida on Monday, February 17, 2020

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