Sadly, many of us have come across a dead bird, whether near a window or out on a trail, often a result of its collision with a window or other object. When birds do die, can they be of use to scientists?

Time to turn off your lights to help migrating birds coming to or through our area! Learn more about the importance of darkness to migrating birds.

We’re in the middle of fall migration season. For birdwatchers, fall migration can be challenging because the warblers are drabber, but, of course, it’s even more challenging for the birds!

The spring migration for birds is happening NOW - from March 15 through May 31 our feathered friends are making their long journeys north. It is estimated that over 100 million birds fly over northern Virginia in the spring. Migration usually occurs at night, and many birds use the stars to navigate. 

Migration season is approaching fast. Between March 15 and May 31, 100 million birds will pass through northern Virginia, most of them flying at night.

NVBA has launched a campaign to prevent bird deaths, citing a National Audubon Society study that found a 30 percent drop in bird populations in North America since 1970, which means more than one in four birds or three billion birds have been lost since then.

Billions of birds die each year from human-made causes. NVBA, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Nature Forward, DarkSky NOVA, DarkSky Virginia, Friends of Dyke Marsh, and Friends of Little Hunting Creek have formed a partnership, Bird Safe NOVA, in an effort to reduce the devastating toll on birds from excess light and window collisions.

All migrating birds are at risk from excessive outdoor lighting each spring and fall. Some cities, including Washington DC, have established programs such as Lights Out DC, which works to convince building owners and managers to adopt light abatement procedures for the sake of migrating birds.

Remember the last time you saw the Milky Way? Around 33 percent of the world’s population can’t see it. In North America, nearly 80 percent of us cannot.

Fall migration is expected to peak from September 15 to November 3 in the northern Virginia area. You can help protect the hundreds of millions of birds that are expected to fly over our area by turning off or dimming non-essential lighting during critical migration periods.