Nearly 450,000 birds migrating through Virginia made their way across Augusta County last night, with the greatest number of birds in flight two to three hours after sunset, according to Birdcast information.
The three-night migration forecast in Waynesboro shows there will be more than 25,000 birds passing through the region from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, although some birds begin to move earlier after sunset.
While birds are on the move, light pollution and weather unfortunately cause birds to become disoriented.
The Wildlife Center of Virginia admitted eight injured migratory songbirds from several locations in the region last week.
There have been additional reports about deceased songbirds throughout Virginia.
Biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources suspect these mortality events are related to migrating birds encountering poor local weather conditions.
Reporting deceased birds in Virginia
Virginians who have found deceased migratory birds in one area should call the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003.
The following information is helpful:
- Your name and contact information
- The date the birds were first observed
- The address where the mortality event occurred
- The type of structure associated with the event
- The number of birds (indicating if it’s an estimate or precise count)
- The side(s) of the building/structure where birds were found (if possible, broken down by the number of birds per side).
Photos are extremely helpful for biologists in understanding the event and identifying the species involved.
Ways to help
The impacts of light pollution are bad for birds during fall migration periods.
The USFWS Migratory Birds site recommends:
- Turn off lights; all non-essential lighting should be turned off from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
- Make your glass visible to birds by drawing blinds and/or curtains, installing external screens or dressing them up with decals, paints or external films
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Crystal Graham
