Songbirds are on the Move!

It’s spring season, that time of year when many animals are on the move, whether it be in route to their summer homes or to find a mate. During this time, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) sees an influx of small songbird patients as they pass through the area during their migration to the north.

There are four major flyways, or migratory pathways, in North America -- the Atlantic, the Mississippi, the Central, and the Pacific. Southwest Florida is located along the Atlantic flyway, which is a hotspot for many different species including swallows, tanagers, vireos, warblers, and thrushes.

Birds migrate for many reasons, including following food sources, changing weather patterns, and traveling to nesting sites. About half of North America’s bird species migrate every year in the fall and again in the spring, some of them completing round-trips that are thousands of miles long and may even cross continents. That’s a big journey for such small birds!

Traveling such long distances is a test of physical endurance, and there are many risks that these birds may encounter during migration. Often, this journey requires them to stop at certain land points to build up strength before traveling across large bodies of water to another continent. When weak from travel, these birds are more susceptible to being attacked by predators. Weather conditions such as tropical storms may blow birds off course, resulting in them being in an unfamiliar area often with limited access to their normal food sources.

There are risks associated with being in areas of dense human populations too. For example, cities have a high amount of light pollution which can result in birds becoming disoriented and losing track of their intended migration pathway. Man-made obstacles also prevent a challenge for birds. One study shows that up to one billion birds die each year in the United States when they hit glass windows, walls, and other structures, making this threat one of the costliest to bird populations.




