Three Ways You Can Help Migrating Birds This Fall
Migrants heading south face myriad man-made obstacles, but there are actions we can all take to save their lives.
The Blackburnian Warbler is a small songbird with a flame-orangehead. The striking bird largely nests in the farNortheastern United States, around the Great Lakes, andinto Canada, but when it’s time to head south, this neotropical migrant, which weighsless than an ounce, wings it all the way to the Andes Mountain in South America. Blackburnians havebeen making this trek for thousands of years, but over the past century, the odyssey has become increasingly treacherous. Now tall towers of glass and steel protrude into the sky; houses, roads, and concrete cover theonce virgin landscape; and at night, the world can look like a neverendingLite Brite. All of these changes, in one way or another,pose deadlydangers to the Blackburnianand millions of other migrating songbirds every year,putting an abrupt end to their heroic journeys.
It doesn't have to be this way. Thoughwe might not be able to reverse human development, we can beproactive about preventing bird deaths that results fromour man-made obstacles. Below are three waysyou canpersonally make a difference. Birds are incredibly adaptive and resilient,buteven a little effort on our partcan help them go a long way—perhaps even tothe Andes.
Make YourWindows Obvious
Anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion birds a year are estimated to die as a result of impacts with clear or reflective glass. Windows can confusebirds in a couple of ways. Sometimes the glass reflects the trees and surrounding landscape, causing the bird to think the reflection is just more of the natural world.Sometimes the window can makeit appear that there is an openspace on the other side.Either way, the result is often the same: a lethal impact. Preventing these strikes, however, is fairly easy.
For starters, putting decals on your windows candrastically reduce bird strikes. And because birds are used to darting through narrow spaces, make sure you use multipledecals close enough togetherto actually deter them (despite what you often see, just one or two in the middle of a window won't do). The gaps between each decal shouldn't be bigger than 2"x4"inches, or no largerthan the space a sparrow wouldfly through.
If colored decals don't appeal, you can use ,strips of, oropt for, whichare less apparent to the human eye but remain highly visible to birds (when applying them, still stick to the same spacing guidelines). You could also get alittle creative, putting up streamers, beads, or making your own bird decorations that could also preventstrikes. And for the slackers out there, here’s something to feel good about: Dirty windows also reduce impacts. So next time you are starting to feelbehind on your chores, give yourselfa break. You'll also be giving one to the birds.
Go Lights Out
Another easy way to prevent bird impacts is simply to keep your household or apartmentlights off from dusk until dawn. Many birds thatmigrate during the night—the Blackburnianincluded—usethe stars and moon to help guide their way. But now that the landscape below them twinkles with artificiallight,birds can easily be confused. Studies suggest that up to a million birds a year can die because of light pollution.Sometimes the birdsareattractedto or disoriented bythe lights and run into a building or window. Other times they can get“trapped” by a city's glow orpowerful beams, exhausting themselves as they continously circle.
The9/11 Memorial's Tribute in Lights, which features dozens of powerfulbulbs pointed skyward, is perhaps the most famous example of this hazard. Every year, the beams catch thousands of migrating birds that are lured by the glow. Stuck flying aroundthe beam,birds waste valuable energy they need to fuel their long journeys.But thanks to the hard work ofNew York City APP,the city now partners with the chapter to monitorhow many birds get trapped. When the number gets too high,they shut the lights for 20-30 minutes to let the birds escape andcontinue along their way.
This is just one example of how APP’s Lights Out initiative ismakinga difference. By reducing light pollution we can save birds and many other wildlife disoriented by lights—turtles coming ashore to nest, for example, can alsoget turned around by artificial lighting. In addition to just turning off your inside lights manually, homeowners should also make sure external lighting is either off or has a shield, and to use timers in case you are away or forget. With these simple actions, you can contribute to a nationwide movement aimed at saving migrating birds and reducingyourenergy consumption.
Become an Advocate
Putting up decals and flipping the switchwill certainly help birds, but perhaps the best thing you can do for themis to become an advocate on their behalf. Speaking atcity planning meetings, making appointments with your elected representatives, and letter writing are all ways to possibly affect much larger changes. For example, campaigning for your city to enact bird-friendly architecture guidelines can produce real results, such as the Golden Gate APP helped get implemented in San Francisco, Oakland, and Richmond, California. Andwhen the bright lights of a building in Texas led hundreds of migrating birds to their death this past spring, Houston APP worked with the building'sownerto turn the lights off.
You, too, can make this sort of impact, and an easy way to start is by writing letters informing others of theproblem—and the solutions. Many people are unaware that lightspose such a threat to birds, so this oneact could make an extroardinary difference. In fact, shutting the lights off in a single building reduced bird deaths by 80 percent, one study found. To get you started,we’ve created two different form letters: one to send an elected official in your town or city, andanother to send people who manage commercial or residential buildings in your community.Just copy these form letters, fill out a few spaces to personalize, and send them off. Once you do, you'll officially be an advocate for birds. It's that simple.