The cold front last week was a nice reprieve from the hot temperatures and haze of late summer. But it was also a good reminder that some of our feathered friends will be heading south soon. This is a good time to make sure we are doing what we can to make their migration trip safe and successful.
“Shorter days and cooler temperatures spur fall migration in migratory birds,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Avian Conservation Biologist Allison Begley. “This can be a hard time for birds, but there are ways that we can help improve their chances of making it safely to their winter homes."
FWP, Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offer several tips, including:
Make windows safer, day and night. Estimates are that Between 100 million and 1 billion birds die each year from impacts with reflective glass. Make your windows more visible to birds by affixing decals, tape, stickers or other materials to your windows.
Keep bird feeders clean. Decomposing or moldy bird seed can make birds sick, and bird droppings can spread infectious diseases among birds. Clean bird feeders at least once every two weeks. Also, clean the ground below the feeder. This is a stressful time for migrating birds and diseases can make it worse.If you notice five or more dead birds in your yard, call you regional FWP office.
Keep cats indoors. It’s estimated that cats kill 2.6 billion birds each year in the United States and Canada. Aside from habitat loss, this is the No.1 human-caused reason for the loss of birds.
Avoid pesticides. Pesticides that are toxic to birds can harm them directly through contact, or if they eat contaminated seeds or prey. Pesticides can also harm birds indirectly by reducing the number of available insects, which birds need to survive.Watch birds and report the birds and their circumstances that you see to your FWP regional biologist. To understand how birds are faring, scientists need hundreds of thousands of people to report what they’re seeing in backyards, neighborhoods, and wild places around the world. Without this information, scientists will not have enough timely data to show where and when birds are declining around the world.For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/, https://www.audubon.org/news/three-ways-you-can-help-migrating-birds-fall and https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/seven-simple-actions-to-help-birds/.
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