Wednesday night marked a new record: the highest number of birds ever recorded migrating in one night in the United States. Over a billion birds were in the skies last night, according to data recorded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdCast website, which has been tracking bird migration for 23 years (though they've only been tracking birds in real-time with their current dashboard since 2021).
The clear skies, and cooler temperatures moving in may be part of why so many birds were migrating, said Dana Hawley, professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech.
“Having a clear night is one of the big predictions of when birds want to take off for migration,” Hawley said.
Birds actually use the stars to help know where to fly, said Hawley, which is one reason they migrate the most at night.
“When they’re born most birds use a star map. And they know exactly where to go often on their own,” Hawley said.
Nine million birds flew over Montgomery County Wednesday night, said Ashley Dayer, a professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Fish and Wildlife at Virginia Tech.
Dayer said to help birds see the stars, it’s helpful to turn off porch and security lights at night. The peak was from 9 to 11 o’clock Wednesday night.
“If you work in an office building, and you have the ability to ask the facility folks or the leadership in the building, if they’re turning off the lights at night, that would be really helpful too, because those buildings can really draw in a lot of birds during migration,” Dayer said.
Other things people can do help birds during migration is to keep native plants growing, particularly if they have fall berries.
“The birds that are migrating often stop during the day and so then they really need that opportunity to fuel up,” said Dayer. Often these birds are depleted of energy, which makes them especially vulnerable to predators. “So, it’s a great time to keep your cats indoors.” The birds will also use plants to hide in from predators, so this is another reason bushes and trees can help birds.
Windows are another danger to birds, and Hawley advises homeowners to put screens on windows, or purchase UV stickers for windows that helps birds detect glass and avoid crashing into them.
To see migrating birds during the day near Blacksburg, Hawley said check out Pandapas Pond and a pond behind the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Glen Alton Wetlands in Giles County.
Hawley said with the fall migration, more birds may become in contact with Avian influenza. Most of the confirmed cases among wild birds are in the Eastern part of Virginia, though there was one case in a black vulture in Wythe County earlier this week.
More information about preventing the spread of avian flu and what to do if you observe a sick or dead bird you suspect may have the disease can be found on the Department of Wildlife Resources website.
