How you can help migrating birds make it safely through Marin this season

Fall is here, and with it comes millions of birds traveling down the Pacific Flyway, a major migration route that stretches along the Pacific Coast. The San Francisco Bay is a crucial stopover and wintering area along this route; our mild climate and abundant open spaces provide reliable sources of food, water, and shelter for songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, and other species. Some will have already traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to get here before continuing south, and others will spend the winter in the Bay Area.  

Migration is an incredible feat, but the journey can be perilous. While climate change, habitat loss, and drought pose well-documented threats to the critical habitats situated along the Pacific Flyway, one of the biggest hazards birds face is something many never consider: windows! More than a billion birds are estimated to die as a result of collisions with glass in the United States every year. 

During daylight hours, birds see reflections of foliage or sky in glass and can easily mistake them for welcoming open space. Navigating through unfamiliar territory, often for the first time, they may see safe habitat through a clear, clean window and attempt to reach it.  

 Many of the tiniest migrants travel by night when cooler, less turbulent air helps maintain a steady course and a lower body temperature as they expend huge amounts of energy in flight while avoiding diurnal predators like hawks. Some even use the night sky to navigate their journeys! But artificial light at night (known as ALAN to birders) disorients migrating birds, completely overriding their internal compasses, particularly during the foggy or cloudy conditions that are so common to the Bay Area. 

The good news is there are simple things we can do to help the birds get safely on their way.  

After dark, turn off unnecessary indoor and outdoor lights, especially during peak migration times. Closing blinds or curtains can reduce the amount of indoor light visible outside. During the day, make windows safer by adding external visual markers such as decals, tape, paint, or UV film in patterns that break up the reflective surface. Markings need to be close enough together that birds recognize the glass as a solid barrier. 

Prevention is always the best approach, but safeguards aren’t foolproof. So, what should you do if a bird hits your window? 

If a bird has struck a surface hard enough to fall to the ground or be easily picked up, forget what you’ve heard in the past and don’t assume the bird is simply “stunned.” Window strikes can cause brain injuries, fractures, spinal trauma, and vision problems that aren’t immediately visible or obvious. Even a bird who seems alert and can fly away may have serious internal injuries. 

Place the bird in a box or paper bag lined with a tightly woven cloth or paper towel. Keep the container closed and in a quiet, dark place. Do not provide food, water, or supplemental heat. Contact WildCare, Marin Humane, or your local licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible for guidance and next steps.  

So, grab that pumpkin spice latte and take a moment to listen for an unfamiliar bird song or watch for a flash of color moving through the trees. You may see warblers in shades of blue and yellow, hear the hauntingly beautiful song of the Hermit Thrush, or spot Golden-crowned Sparrows sporting ostentatious yellow mohawks. The bird you see may be a tiny traveler making a pitstop on an extraordinary journey.