The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. 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, 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.