Millions of birds might die while migrating through Texas. Here's why and how to help
Texas is a main flyover state for migrating birds, but due to major city lighting, these pathways can be dangerous.
According to Audubon Texas, 365 million to 1 billion birds die each year from building collisions in the U.S. These incidents can increase when flocks of birds fly through major cities.
Approximately 1 in 3 birds migrate through the U.S. in the spring, and 1 in 4 migrate through the U.S. in the fall.
Here's what to know about how populations are affected and how to help:
How many birds migrate through Texas?
According to Audubon Texas, the full migration season for birds is March 1 to June 15. Approximately 2 billion migrating birds fly through the Lone Star State.
According to the BBC, both the Central Americas Flyway, which stretches from the Canadian Arctic to the southern tip of Argentina, and the waterway-rich Mississippi Flyway, beloved by migratory waterbirds, pass through Texas.
How does artificial light affect migration?
Artificial light in cities can confuse birds during migration, according to the journal Environmental Evidence. Birds tend to migrate by night and use the stars to navigate. By day, they use the sun to orient themselves. During nocturnal migration, it’s common for birds to crash into lit-up windows and structures. This often occurs in Texas cities such as Galveston.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, nearly 400 migratory birds once crashed into the American National Building, a skyscraper in downtown Galveston, during a storm.
What can be done to prevent death during migration?
The conservation organization Defenders of Wildlife suggests that building owners, businesses, developers and homeowners consider these options to help protect migrating birds:
Turn off all nonessential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day during migration season.
Do not use landscape lighting for trees or gardens where birds might be resting.
Close blinds at night to reduce the amount of light being emitted from windows.
Use lighting shields to direct light downward and to avoid shining light into the sky or trees.
Use motion detectors and sensors so lights are only on when you need them.
Use desk lamps or task lighting rather than overhead lights.
Avoid floodlights.
Dim exterior and decorative lighting.
What species of birds migrate through Texas?
Texas Parks and Wildlife notes that these birds fly over the state during peak migration season:
American golden-plover
Chimney swift
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Purple martin
Barn swallow
Northern parula
Black-throated blue warbler
Green warbler
Yellow-throated warbler
Black-and-white warbler
Hudsonian godwit
Buff-breasted sandpiper
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Golden-winged warbler
Cerulean warbler
Olive-sided flycatcher
Eastern wood-pewee
"Traill's" flycatcher
Magnolia warbler
Blackburnian warbler
Bay-breasted warbler
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Millions of birds might die while migrating through Texas. Here's why