Atlantic flyway a dangerous passage for birds: How to help

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Mark Madison | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. – William Blake

Hagerstown (aka “Hub City”) has three main interstates running directly through town — I-81, I-70 and the Atlantic flyway. For those of us earthbound creatures more familiar with highways than flyways, the Atlantic flyway is a major north-south air route for migratory birds that runs along the Atlantic coast from Greenland to South America. This flyway is traversed by millions of birds twice a year looking for breeding, feeding, and overwintering grounds. Of the four major flyways in North America, our flyway is the most densely populated. Unfortunately, our structures spell bird doom!

A groundbreaking study just last month discovered that over one billion birds die each year in the U.S. through collisions with human-made structures — mostly homes and low-rise buildings. That is far higher than previous estimates and an unsustainable number if we want to have birds in our backyards and our future. The major bird butchers are lights and glass — two hallmarks of modern houses, stores and skyscrapers.

Humans have poor night vision and to compensate we have illuminated our evening habitats leading to global light pollution and bird decimation. In North America 70% of our bird species migrate and 80% of those migrants do so at night. These biannual flyers choose nocturnal travel when there are fewer predators, calmer weather conditions, and they can use the moon and stars to navigate. However, if birds mistake streetlights or house lights for say stars, they can quickly become disoriented and migrate into the human infrastructure killing zone.

The other fatal flaw in the bird migration is a pane of glass. While many birds have amazing vision — including night vision — most cannot see glass. Birds see a reflection of trees or sky in a pane of glass and assume that is habitat until they smash into a glass window. Last week my dog and I were watching Jeopardy at dusk when a songbird flew full speed into our glass door, startling the bird and dog, both of which survived the incident.

The bad news is that as human habitats are growing, record numbers of birds are dying and we may actually decimate many birds by the accidental choice of our illumination and construction. The good news is there are easy and available fixes. Reducing artificial lighting at night can save energy and avians. For areas that do require illumination, directing the light downward, rather than upward toward the flyways, is a useful technique.

As for those many windows, glass doors, and other transparent modern building materials, there are simple decals and other bird treatments that can allow birds to actually “see” glass and not habitat and avoid collisions. So, the good news is by turning off unnecessary lights, closing curtains and shades, and adding small, discrete patterns spaced 2-inches by 2-inches apart we can help save birds, save energy, and save money.

Mark Madison, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Historian, lives on the Atlantic flyway in Hagerstown.

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