5 Ways to Help Birds During Spring Migration

Spring migration is taking place right now! More than 250 species, around 8 million individuals, travel through the city of Chicago through mid-June. Masses of migratory birds are returning from their warmer, southern winter homes to more temperate habitats in the northern hemisphere where there’s more food and space.

From the smallest hummingbirds to sandhill cranes, you may experience some flighted guests near your homes and businesses, who are traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to nest. Even the birds you’re used to seeing have amazing stories that span continents.

On Nature Boardwalk here at Lincoln Park Zoo, the barn swallows nesting under bridges winter as far south as Argentina, while eastern wood pewees—a species of small gray flycatcher—migrate from the Amazon, and Baltimore orioles arrive from Central America. Common goldeneyes like the ones at South Lagoon, on the other hand, go north to breed in subarctic boreal forest just south of the Arctic Circle. These animals are traveling very long distances.

And the black-crowned night herons arrive in Lincoln Park to take advantage of the presence of protective red wolves underneath their preferred nesting spot at Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.

Along the way, all these bird species need places to rest, safe spots to sleep, and sources of food and water. Unfortunately, a 2019 study found that Chicago is the most dangerous city for migrating birds in the U.S. thanks to light pollution and geography.

If you’re looking for ways to help the birds, here are a few easy things you can do:

1. Turn Off the Lights

Most bird species migrate at night, and artificial lighting in offices and homes can disorient them to the extent that they will exhaust themselves and become more vulnerable to collisions and predators. If you’re leaving a space, please flip that light switch off on the way out! Extinguish exterior and interior lights, use motion-sensitive lighting, and use your desk lamps instead of overhead lighting at work stations. Draw curtains to prevent light from escaping your building.

2. Make Windows Less Appealing

Research has shown that birds do not see glass. As a result, they often perceive windows as small gaps in forested areas that they can safely navigate through. Up to 1 billion birds die each year colliding with glass in the U.S. alone! Move your plants away from windows, close your blinds by at least 75% to make these spaces more visible to birds, and use soap or stickers to cover large panes of glass (soaping outside works better).

Click here to access printable window decals you can tape to your windows to make them more visible to migrating birds.

3. Tend Your Bird Feeders and Water Sources

It’s important during this time to make sure birds have clean, safe places to rest and eat. Make sure your bird feeders are full—if feathered animals need a pitstop on their way to their breeding grounds, being able to grab a bite along the way can help make their migration easier. Also, make sure all feeders are regularly cleaned and sanitized. This can help reduce the transmission of disease, keeping bird populations healthy.

Note that tube-shaped feeders are safest for birds from a health perspective; tray-style feeders collect fecal matter more easily, increasing the rate of pathogen transmission. If you have a bird bath, make also make sure to clean and sanitize it thoroughly on a regular basis.

4. Keep Pets Inside or on a Leash

Domestic animals like dogs and cats can be dangerous for migrating birds. In fact, free-roaming felines alone may be responsible for the deaths up to 4 billion birds in the U.S. per year (and additional billions of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles). Of course, cats are also more vulnerable to injury when they live outdoors. So, keep them in your house whenever possible!

Do not allow dogs off-leash, especially on Chicago beaches and state natural areas (they are not allowed there). These sites are important for shorebirds finding a place to rest on their journey north, or birds who are nesting on the ground.

5. Cultivate Your Gardens With Native Plants

When you grow plants native to your region, such as Illinois prairie, savanna, and forest species, you are supporting native pollinators, including birds. You’re nurturing the local food chain, reducing pests like mosquitos, and fostering healthy biodiversity in your community.

April can be the best time of year for birdwatchers. It’s the start of warbler season—these insectivorous perching birds overwinter in Central and South America, but are now moving north through Chicago on their way to northern breeding grounds.

During May and June, Chicago residents should see plenty of diversity in the birds that arrive from the south, including shorebirds, cuckoos, hummingbirds, thrushes, flycatchers, and warblers. Take a few minutes to enjoy the birds coming into the area! Find some binoculars and see what you can see. Lincoln Park Zoo is a great place to birdwatch, with 195 species (and counting!) recorded in the area.

This article was originally published on May 15, 2024, and has been updated.