Massive bird migration through Michiana this week
We aren't the only ones enjoying the nice weather in Michiana. The birds love the warm temperatures too!
A huge bird migration back northward is taking place across the United States.
More than 440 million birds were expected to migrate Wednesday night, and a similar number are anticipated to make the trek north Thursday night.
Migration Alert!! 400 million birds will be migrating tonight—a good time to turn off nonessential outdoor lighting and to treat reflective windows to keep birds safe. Learn more at https://t.co/CboDf0WiNr #LightsOut #LightsOutAlert pic.twitter.com/4fhH9cbCRs
— Cornell Lab (@CornellBirds) May 10, 2023
"The winds changed, and we got a whole bunch of birds, now the wind is out of the south or very little wind. That gives them a good opportunity to migrate," South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society Volunteer Carol Goodall explained.
Bird watchers hardly saw any birds last Friday at the Audubon Society, the weather was much cooler than normal, and the wind was strong and out of the north. On Wednesday, volunteers counted 68 different species of birds at the Wildlife Sanctuary location outside of Mishawaka.
Birds are in a big hurry to get to their breeding grounds this time of year, and some aren't sticking around Michiana for long.
"The ones who are here are nesting already, that's their big goal. The ones who do not nest here, they stop to refuel, and they take off as fast as they can," Goodall said.
If they do decide to leave Michiana behind, they could travel north into mid-Michigan. Some species go way up into central Canada.
You can help these fowl make it to their final destination safely by turning off non-essential outdoor lighting and treating reflective windows.
The massive migration will slow down by in about a week. You can track just how many birds migrated through your county here.