The Atlantic Flyway is a
bird migration route that generally follows the
Mississippi River in the United States and the Mackenzie
River in Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include
the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf
of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably
in the southern United States in the states of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia (U.S. state), and
Florida. which account for the high number of bird species
found in those areas. Once in Florida, the flyway diverges
into a path over eastern Mexico and a longer path across the
Caribbean Sea via Cuba and Jamaica.
This route is used by birds typically because no mountains or even ridges of hills block this path over its entire extent. Good sources of water, food, and cover exist over its entire length.
The other primary migration routes for North American birds includes the Mississippi, Central and Pacific Flyways.