Every fall, one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles unfolds above us the great bird migration. This year, the skies over the United States are about to witness one of the heaviest migration events of the season. According to bird experts and migration forecasts, over 470 million birds are expected to take flight across the U.S. tonight, followed by an estimated 395 million on Friday night and 374 million on Saturday night.
This massive movement marks the peak of the fall migration season, as countless species travel thousands of miles from their summer breeding grounds in the north to warmer regions in the south for the winter. Most of this journey happens under the cover of darkness, when the cooler air and calmer winds make long-distance travel safer and easier for the birds.
Why This Migration Matters
Bird migration is more than just a seasonal event it’s a vital part of our planet’s ecological balance. Migratory birds play essential roles in ecosystems: they pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and control insect populations. Many species also serve as indicators of environmental health, signaling changes in climate and habitat quality.
But despite the beauty and importance of migration, it’s also a perilous journey. One of the biggest threats birds face during this time is light pollution. Artificial lights from homes, buildings, and cities can disorient birds flying at night, drawing them off course and increasing their risk of fatal collisions.
A Deadly Problem: Window Collisions
Each year in the United States, an estimated 1 billion birds die from collisions with windows. Many of these deaths occur during migration seasons when birds are traveling in massive numbers and navigating unfamiliar landscapes.
The issue is made worse by brightly lit urban areas. Attracted to these lights, birds often crash into glass surfaces they cannot see. Even if they survive the initial impact, many die later from internal injuries or predation. The combination of light pollution and glass buildings turns cities into dangerous obstacles during migration.
How You Can Help Save Birds This Weekend
While large-scale solutions require city planning and building design changes, individual actions can make a big difference especially during these peak migration nights. Here’s what experts recommend:
Turn off nonessential lights between 11 PM and 6 AM. Reducing unnecessary lighting is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect birds.
Make windows safer. Use bird-friendly films, decals, or screens to break up reflections and make glass more visible to birds.
Close blinds or curtains during nighttime hours to minimize interior light escaping outside.
Dim outdoor lighting or switch to motion-activated lights that reduce continuous illumination.
Even small steps taken by individuals and businesses can save thousands of birds during these high-risk nights.
This extraordinary migration is a reminder of how deeply interconnected life on Earth is. Birds crossing continents don’t recognize national borders their journey links ecosystems across thousands of miles. Protecting them requires collective awareness and action.
By making simple changes, we can ensure that this natural wonder continues for generations to come. Each bird that survives its migration contributes to the balance of our planet’s ecosystems and the beauty of our skies.
So as you look up over the next few nights and imagine hundreds of millions of wings passing silently overhead, remember: the lights we turn off below could mean the difference between life and death for those travelers above.
Source:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Bird Conservancy, Associated Press