(by Willa Coroka)

With World Migratory Bird Day fast approaching this Saturday, there are several small steps we can take to help rather than hinder their long commute this season.

• Keep Your Cat Indoors: While NH Audubon is a huge fan of felines (see staff cat glamour shots), free-roaming outdoor cats are responsible for upwards of 2.4 billion bird deaths each year. Choosing to keep cats indoors is a simple way to reduce the predation of both our migratory and year-round residents and ensure their young chicks have a chance at making it to adulthood after their vulnerable stage as a fledgling. (Plus, indoor cats live longer, healthier lives than their outdoor counterparts.) For those wishing to offer outdoor enrichment, leash-training cats, particularly from a young age, allows us to safely share our joy of the great outdoors with our feline friends without causing unintended harm to birds!
• Don’t be afraid of the dark (particularly during peak migration). Artificial light not only dims our chances of seeing a stunning array of constellations here in our northern skies, but it also decreases our migratory birds ability to successfully navigate through our region en route to their breeding site. Most songbirds migrate in the hours between dusk and dawn when wind currents are more predictable, raptors are resting, and temperatures are cooler. Artificial light disorients migratory species and throw them off track which can lead to exhaustion from depleted reserves and even death. Many large cities with an overabundance of lighting now participate in Lights Out programs which have resulted in a drastic reduction in mortality during anticipated dates of high migration numbers. While NH is not known for skyscrapers or light pollution, we can better replicate nature and provide a safer migratory passage by turning off, dimming, or directing our outdoor lights to illuminate the ground rather than the sky during annual migration periods.
  • Learn more here.

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  Make Your Windows Visible: Unlike humans, birds can’t comprehend window reflection. According to the Smithsonian Institute, window collisions are responsible for approximately 600 million bird deaths annually, with most of these fatal encounters occurring during migration. Help birds navigate your windows rather than crashing into them by installing screens or applying a visible object to break up the reflection. Commonly used objects include tape, cords, and decals, though tape applied according to directions, appears to have the most success for residential homes and is available for purchase at our centers!

• Grow Native: The way we choose to landscape our yards can have a direct impact on birds. Native plants provide berries and seeds and support a variety of invertebrates which become nutrient-dense food for nestlings. These same native plants offer cover and shelter and are relatively easy to establish once planted. Rather than planting strictly for ornamental value, consider incorporating native plant species into your yard and garden designs; you may be surprised by who arrives!

• Get Involved: Participate in a bird count, volunteer at a local clean-up, or help spread the word on indoor cats, Lights Out programs, bird-safe windows, and growing native plants. Not yet a NH Audubon member? Join today! Your charitable contribution helps support our mission of protecting NH’s environment for wildlife and for people. Be sure to grab a copy of our bird species checklist (available at both the McLane and Massabesic Center locations), which can transform an average outdoor walk into a scavenger hunt adventure.

  • Become a member here.
  • Join us for an upcoming event.
  • Learn more about NH’s birds.