Dangers For Migrating Birds

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Oct 7, 2006

In my last blog post, Whooping Cranes are Migrating, I wrote: “As the 2006 migration gets underway, the total count of Whooping Cranes in the world stands at 498.” How many will there be when the migrating flocks have completed their journey? We can well imagine that since the first birds migrated on Earth, there have been significant dangers associated with the trip: unexpected severe weather, attacks by predators, and the danger of individuals and inexperienced fledglings getting lost or separated. People, however, have made migration much more dangerous for birds.

On September 20, Newsday.com reported on the deaths of eight rare Hudsonian Godwits, electrocuted in New York as they made their way to South America for the winter. On the same day, Central Valley Business Times (CVBT) wrote about efforts in California to make migration past windmills safer for migrating birds. Meanwhile, bird enthusiasts and nature lovers lament the small feathered bodies of birds found beneath the reflective windows of homes and skyscrapers alike.

Sadly, this year will be no different for migrating birds: thousands won’t arrive safely in their winter range. Watch for my article on bird collisions with windows and how we may be able to avoid some of these deaths.

Start a discussion about migrating bird fatalities.