Bird Migration
Every Fall and Spring hundreds of bird species take to the skies to travel between their winter and summer homes. In the United States, most regions become too cool and mainly offer too little food for these birds to survive the winter, thus forcing these birds to migrate to more southern areas to fulfill those needs. The same trip is then taken northward in the spring when the southern hemisphere goes through the same process of transitioning to their own version of winter. The fall migration of birds has already begun, typically starting in early August and continuing until late November.
Challenges Faced During Migration
Birds travel great distances during their migration, and because of this, often interact with more than one human development. These structures, populations, etc. can interfere with their success rate at making it to their destination safely. Some main causes for concern, conservation-wise, are listed below:
- Urban and suburban development –
- This reduces the space birds have to find food, rest, etc.
- Agriculture –
- This limits feasible habitat and increase chances of pesticide related mortality
- Oil and gas production and wind turbines –
- This increases risk of collision with machinery and exposure to toxic materials
- Ground water depletion –
- This causes a decline in drinkable water
- Light pollution –
- This causes disorientation to nocturnal migratory birds
- Climate change –
- Drought, flooding, etc. impact the availability of resources to these birds
How can you help?
Knowing how much humans can impact these birds’ success at reaching their destination, it is normal to wonder what one can do to help these birds. A simple way of helping migratory birds, especially those that do so nocturnally, is to turn off the lights at your home at night. It may not seem like much, especially if you live in a big city, but any little bit helps. Additionally, you can place up visual deterrents in your windows, such as stickers, larger pieces of paper, etc. These deterrents help show the birds that the window is not a space they can fly through. One of the easiest ways to help these birds is to share your and expert’s knowledge on migratory birds and their special requirements as they make their long journey.
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn more, feel free to check out these helpful websites and articles that share information about birds and their migration in an easy to understand way:
- https://birdcast.info/
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/
- https://www.audubon.org/
- https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds
- https://www.fws.gov/story/migration-its-risky-journey
Works Cited
“Conservation Challenges: Bird Migration Explorer.” Conservation Challenges | Bird Migration Explorer, Audubon, explorer.audubon.org/explore/conservation-challenges/1141/drought?sidebar=expand&category=climate-change&zoom=2&x=-417753.2037000004&y=38544.25185000431. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Horton, Kyle G., et al. “Artificial Light at Night Is a Top Predictor of Bird Migration Stopover Density.” Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 7446, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43046-z. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Rappole, John H. Bird Migration: A New Understanding. 1st ed., Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Written By: Christie S., class of 2028
