SATURDAY, Oct. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — As millions of birds migrate south for the winter, many face dangerous obstacles on their journey, and experts say people can help ensure they have a safe journey.
This week saw the largest migration event ever recorded by BirdCast, a bird studies project at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York – 1.25 billion. Further south, researchers at Virginia Tech University report that more than 36 million birds have already migrated this fall.
Although these flights are an incredible natural phenomenon, experts say they can also be extremely dangerous.
“Birds face a variety of threats during migration – collisions with windows, communications towers and wind turbines; light pollution that disorients them; habitat loss or degradation in their stopover areas; human disturbance in feeding in stopover areas; predators; and storms,” said Ashley Dayer, a wildlife conservation expert at the Virginia Tech, in a press release.
Artificial light is one of the biggest threats to birds traveling at night. It can confuse them or attract them to buildings where they may bump into windows.
“Birds collide with windows when they cannot see them, or worse, are attracted to them because of reflections from plants or the sky,” Dayer explained. “This happens both during the day and at night during migration, when lights confuse the birds or when fog causes them to fly low.”
That's why people play an important role, says Dana Hawley, a professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech.
“The three most important things you can do for birds this time of year are to keep cats indoors, turn off lights and take window protection measures,” she said.
Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights at night or use motion sensors and timers so lights only turn on when needed, recommends Dayer.
“If you must keep the lights on, use warm-colored lamps with downward-facing shades,” she urged.
Homeowners can also help reduce window collisions by:
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Place bird feeders within 3 feet of the window or more than 30 feet away
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Use window screens, UV tape, or hanging cords to reveal glass
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Close blinds to limit reflections
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Leave fallen logs or piles of wood in yards to provide shelter for birds when they roost
While Dayer said you don't need to take down feeders during bird migration season, you should still be careful.
“Enjoy these visitors when they come by. But feed responsibly! Clean your feeders regularly, follow window instructions and keep your cats indoors,” she said.
Experts say these small steps can make a big difference as millions of birds migrate across North America each fall.
More information
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has more on the migratory journey of birds.
SOURCE: Virginia Tech, press release, October 8, 2025
What this means for you
If you live on a migratory route, small changes like dimming outdoor lights or placing bird feeders safely can help protect millions of birds on their long journey south.