Today’s Lights Out Alert includes tips for providing safe places for birds during migration
October 10, 2024—Tonight is shaping up to be one of the busiest songbird migration nights of the fall.
That means it’s a good night to make sure your outdoor lights are out. It might also mean that plenty of sparrows and warblers, as well as some interesting shorebirds, will be around on Friday morning as well.
Most birds migrate at night, and they are attracted to lights, which can disorient them and send them flying toward and then into buildings and windows. Well over 1 billion birds are killed each year in North America when they crash into buildings. They fly into small buildings and big buildings, so almost everyone has a chance to help—people who live in houses, apartment dwellers, office managers: basically anyone who controls a light switch.
Tonight’s migration predictions come from the Colorado State University Aeroeco Lab and eBird.
The Aeroeco Lab predicts that 963,100 birds will fly over Connecticut. Of that total, about 11,400 will fly over three of Connecticut’s biggest cities: 4,100 over New Haven, 3,900 over Bridgeport, and 3,400 over Hartford.
That means 951,700 birds will be flying over the rest of the state. Wherever you live, you can help by turning out your lights from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m.
White-crowned Sparrow photographed in October at the Smith Richardson preserve in Westport. Photo by Patrick Comins.
Migration records from eBird show that you shoud keep you eyes and ears on alert for White-crowned Sparrows, Lincoln’s Sparrows and, if you live near the shore, American Golden Plovers. When dawn breaks tomorrow, many of the migrating birds will need a place to land, rest and eat, which is why migratory stopovers rich in seeds and fruits are essential.
You can read the Homegrown Habitat columns on Connecticut Audubon’s website for information about native plants that are especially good for fall migrants.
The 2018 Connecticut State of the Birds report, “In Cities and Suburbs: A Fresh Look at How Birds Are Surviving in Connecticut,” provides information on the importance of creating and improving bird habitat in areas that aren’t necessarily wilderness.
Here’s a summary from the report of the most important elements in creating or maintaining habitat for birds to stop, eat, and rest during migration. Some are good ideas for individual residents; some are more applicable to municipalities, local conservation organizations and other larger land managers:
- Food Availability: Birds need to eat voraciously during stopovers to replenish fuel reserves. Food availability is the primary factor determining how quickly birds depart and can affect their arrival date and physical condition at breeding/wintering grounds, impacting their life cycle.
- Native Plant Concentrations: Areas with diverse, native plants that provide nectar, berries, and varied structures (grasses, shrubs, vines, and trees of various sizes) are ideal. Good examples include the Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary and H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve.
- Habitat Diversity: A mix of habitats, like beaches, dunes, rocks, tidal flats, meadows, groves, woods, thickets, and wetlands, is attractive to a wider variety of birds.
- Safe Haven: Birds need shelter from predators and the elements. Safe havens with food and shelter are especially important at first light after a night of flying.
- Minimized Disturbance: Human activities, such as foot traffic and beach grooming, can disrupt birds during feeding and nesting, impacting their breeding success. Reducing these disturbances is crucial.
- Location: Urban parks and green spaces can serve as critical stopover sites, especially when located along migration routes or near water bodies. These areas provide refuge within developed landscapes.
Even small, urban green spaces can be crucial for migrating birds if they offer the right combination of food, shelter, and safety from disturbance.
Connecticut Audubon is part of the Lights Out Connecticut coalition, which is working statewide to reduce bird crashes. In the decades since 1970, the bird population of North America has fallen by about 3 billion birds, or 30 percent. Reducing the number of birds that die in building crashes is one of the key ways to bring birds back.
If you’d like to receive a text in the future about when to turn out your lights, sign up for Connecticut Audubon’s Lights Out alerts here. Thank you!
