GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is raising awareness after nearly a thousand birds, including warblers migrating through Michigan, died after crashing into a building in Chicago.
The incident occurred earlier this month when the migratory songbirds on their way to Central America for the winter crashed into a convention center along Lake Michigan.
And while the DNR says collision events that large are rare, bird collisions are not. In fact, they are a leading cause of bird mortality, with up to a billion such deaths yearly in the U.S. alone.
And Michigan is at the center since it lies at the intersection of the Mississippi River and Atlantic flyways, migration routes that bring over 350 bird species through the state each year, with fall migration peaking in October.
Hundreds of palm warblers and yellow-rumped warblers, which can also be found traveling through Michigan, were impacted in the collision event in Chicago. And certain species, known as “super-colliders,” are more likely to crash into buildings.
Some of those species are headed to Michigan in the next few weeks, including American woodcocks and white-throated sparrows.
Artificial light at night and reflective surfaces are the main causes of bird deaths, the DNR said, which means bird collisions are preventable.
A 2021 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America discovered that by turning off half the lights in Chicago during bird migration, 60 percent fewer birds would die.
As a result, the DNR is encouraging Michigan residents to follow a few key steps for the next few weeks when it comes to light and glass.
You can help by reducing the amount and intensity of light coming from your home, changing the direction of the light by turning them downward and by shortening the amount of time lights are on.
When it comes to glass, residents can help by creating patterns on the outer surface like stripes or dots, making the glass opaque, putting physical barriers on the glass like screens or netting, closing blinds and curtains, moving plants away from windows and placing bird feeders directly onto windows.
If you’re interested in learning more about Michigan’s birds, follow MI Birds, an outreach and engagement program presented by Audubon Great Lakes in partnership with Michigan DNR. You can also follow on social media or visit https://gl.audubon.org/mibirds.
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October 26, 2023 at 11:36PM
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DNR asks Michigan residents to help protect migrating birds after ‘mass collision’ killed 961 - MLive.com
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