(DON'T) Go Into the Light! |
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Photo of Prothonotary Warbler by Geoffrey Clarke; Eastern Kingbird family by Jim Simek. |
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Welcome to Fall 2021! As many of us return to school, other “neighbors” return to warmer climes. Many birds we see in spring and summer will be waving good-bye to Michigan as they navigate south until next spring. Birds migrate seasonally to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. They are in search of two primary resources: food and nesting locations.
At the onset of migration, birds exhibit animated behaviors referred to as zugunruhe (meaning migatory restlessness), a term coined by ornithologist Gustav Kramer in the 1950s to describe the phenomenon of nighttime restlessness and agitation displayed among birds.
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The mechanisms initiating this migratory behavior can be triggered by a combination of changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food supplies, and genetic predisposition.
Humans often travel on expressways we call highways. Similarly, the flight paths used by birds in their annual migrations are called flyways.
Scientists aren’t entirely sure how birds navigate their flyways. They seem to have an internal global positioning system (GPS) that allows them to follow the same pattern every year. A young bird imprints on the sun and stars to help orient it. Some researchers think a bird may also recognize landmarks.
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In recent decades, long-distant migrants have been facing a growing threat from communication towers and tall buildings. Nocturnally migrating birds are attracted to and disoriented by artificial lighting. Lights on tall buildings interfere with bird navigation using the stars and the moon. The birds "circle the buildings repeatedly and either die of exhaustion of by colliding with the illuminated building" (Safe Passage Great Lakes). Millions of birds are killed each year in collisions with the structures in North America alone.
A recent paper on what drives bird collisions in Chicago suggests ways to mitigate the impacts of light to protect the migrating birds. Based on two decades of data, the researchers found that decreasing the lighted window area could reduce bird mortality by ~ 60-80%.
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Since 2005, bird scientists, ecological volunteers and the memorial’s sponsors have worked together to try to reduce the harm. This collaboration now yields new scientific insights and increases support for protection of birds in New York and other cities. Other groups campaigning to reduce bird collisions include The Fatal Light Awareness Program, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and BirdCast’s Lights Out project.
If you would like to help prevent bird strikes, check out the Safe Passage Great Lakes website to learn more about how you can help. Detroit Audubon is always looking for volunteers to help us survey specific buildings around Detroit in order to determine which buildings are most problematic and most critical for remediation. If you are interested in becoming part of this community science project, please contact Ava Landgraf at [email protected]
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Eagle Scout Andrew Bleu helped prevent bird collisions at the EIC
Window crashes are estimated to kill up to a billion birds a year in North America. To help reduce these at our EIC windows, Andrew designed, assembled, and installed a system in 2019 that uses an arrangement of vertically suspended paracord.
This setup is known as the Agopian Bird Saver. Andrew added clever innovations which better secure the cords in order to enhance aesthetics and prevent the cords from twisting together in the wind.
Andrew’s project also serves to increase local public awareness of bird window collision mortality and its prevention. Bird collisions have been greatly reduced at the windows where Andrew’s system was installed.
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Natural Areas Manager Rick Simek reports recent observations of Wood Duck migration that are well described in a resource from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology:
depart shortly before sunset into early nocturnal hours; they probably fly most of the night at speeds ≥ 60 km/h, descending either before or shortly after daybreak depending on availability of suitable habitat (...). Birds move in small flocks (6-12 individuals) for short distances in fall, stopping several times before reaching destination (...)."
Keep an eye (and ear!) out for these cavity-nesting waterfowl on migration!
(Photo courtesy of Flathead Audubon Society)
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Don't forget to submit your photos!
Visit the EIC website for photo contest guidelines and further instructions on how to submit your photos. We look forward to all the photos of pollinators “caught in the act” of doing their very important ecological “free service.”
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- Photo entries will be accepted from July 1 to September 30, 2021.
- EIC staff will judge photos based on subject matter, composition, and aesthetics.
- Contest winners in each photo category will be notified by no later than October 31, 2021.
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Winning entrants will receive a bottle of EIC maple syrup and their winning photos will be displayed on the EIC website.
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In this unusual time, venturing outdoors and encountering nature is even more important. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities! |
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Please stay safe, stay tuned, and stay engaged in learning activities while we eagerly wait for the opportunities to share experiences together. In the meantime, watch for our new online activities to satisfy your curiosity about the natural world. |
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Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
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