Spring mornings at Acadia are filled with the sounds of warblers, chickadees, sparrows, and other songbirds. While Mount Desert Island is an excellent habitat during the summer, many birds find it a bit too cold during the winter. On #WorldMigratoryBirdDay, we celebrate our temporary summer residents – including many of our songbirds – and highlight important conservation issues.
Did you know most songbirds migrate at night? To avoid predators, these birds have learned to use constellations in the night sky to navigate between their summer and winter homes. Bright city lights can confuse birds on their migration paths, making it more likely that they will get lost or crash into windows they can’t see. Especially on the east coast of the United States, Acadia provides an important feature for migrating birds: naturally dark skies.
Helping migratory birds in your area can be as simple as turning your lights off at night. Curious about when birds are migrating? You can visit https://birdcast.info to view a live map showing bird migration rates across the United States. When migration rates are high near your home in the spring and fall, consider helping by remembering this year’s theme for Migratory Bird Day: “Dim the lights for birds at night.”
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