The peak of spring bird migration throughout North Clark County is estimated to take place between April 15 and May 19.
An estimated 2,800 birds crossed through Clark County during the night of Monday, April 3, followed by an estimated 17,500 birds on the night of Tuesday, April 4, according to Birdcast. Birdcast estimates state there could be close to 70,000 birds that will fly through the area on a nightly basis in early May.
As birds migrate during the dark hours of night, many bird species that can be seen in residential yards can become disoriented from residential and commercial lighting.
During peak migration dates, audubon societies encourage homeowners to turn off their outdoor lights once the sun goes down. If outdoor lighting is necessary, Susan Saul, the conservation chair for the Vancouver Audubon Society, said motion sensing lights are encouraged.
Even indoor lighting can disorient birds, so closing blinds or curtains can be an easy solution. Numerous studies have estimated that at least 100 million bird deaths are related to light pollution in the United States each year.
Different hues of lighting affect birds differently. Saul relayed information from an article by the Portland Audubon Society, which stated blue-rich LED lights are not as safe for wildlife compared to warm-white LED lighting.
“At least in my neighborhood the (streetlights) are kind of yellowish and they do shine downward. … It seems like the streetlights that (Vancouver) has where I live are already pretty compliant with being bird friendly,” Saul said.
Saul explained billboards with lights that shine from the bottom cause issues for birds. She added a simple fix for all billboards would be to move the lights to the top so they shine downward.
There are also hazards during the daytime, since windows can also harm birds. To fix that issue, people can purchase circular decals to add to their windows. On Amazon, a pack of 48 anti-collision stickers costs $19.90 and are 1.8 inches in diameter. Saul said research shows stickers around two inches in diameter are the most successful in preventing bird strikes.
“I’ve got the dots on my big front picture-window because I would hear birds hitting it,” Saul said. “They can see the reflection of the trees and the shrubbery in my yard in the window and think they can fly and land in that next tree, (but) instead they’re hitting the window.”
Another issue nationwide that impacts the bird population are outdoor cats. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimated that between 1.3 billion and 4 billion birds are killed each year by pet cats in the United States alone. The next biggest killer of birds are windows, with an estimated 599 million birds dying from window strikes.
People with cats can help limit the number of bird deaths through numerous ways. Keeping them indoors or investing in outdoor “catios” provides the animals with a safe place outside without risking birds.
Do-it-yourself “catios” can be created by covering a section of a yard or a patio.
