Springtime means there’s a major bird migration underway.
Half a million birds are in the sky over Oregon each night right now — with more on the way.
Do Your Part
Windows are a major hazard for birds. Put up decals or consider other ways to make them visible. Stickers or other markers need to be spaced every four inches.
- Alarming fact: “Window collisions kill up to 1 billion birds every year,” according to the Bird Alliance of Oregon.
- Learn more about window safety.
- But if a bird does collide with a window, give it an hour to recover (protected from any predators like cats). Release as soon as it’s alert. Or if it does not recover, bring it to the Wildlife Care Center, 5151 NW Cornell Road. Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. every day, 503-292-0304). (They are open for other bird injuries as well.)
Birds migrate at night, with many navigating by the stars and moon. So help make sure they don’t get disoriented by turning off outside lights and remembering to shut the shades or curtains during migration season, from March 15 through June 7.
- Notable fact: “For 4.5 billion years, there was no artificial light on Earth, and biological systems evolved under cycles of light and dark,” notes the Bird Alliance of Oregon.
- Take the Lights Out pledge. It’s for the birds, in a good way.
Check Out the Birds
- Go listen to song birds — and see them. There’s free morning bird song walks six days a week through May, all levels of experience welcome, and there are accessible bird outings on Sundays.
- Find out what birds have been coming through town with the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s rare bird alerts.
