OkcPets Magazine September 2023

September / October 2023 • OKC Pets 31 FALL MIGRATION Help Birds Navigate Their Way South by Inger Giuffrida, executive director, WildCare Oklahoma W ith fall comes the migration of millions of birds. After traveling north to Oklahoma in the spring and hatching and rearing their young, many species of birds that bring color and song to our summer landscape will head south to overwinter from southern Texas to as far away as Central and South America. There are four flyways in the United States: Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and At- lantic. Flyways are like bird superhighways, and Oklahoma is part of the Central Flyway. Hundreds of species of birds make their way from, through, or to the state in the fall, depending on the species and the migration starting point. For example, scissor-tailed flycatchers, the Oklahoma state bird, leave in the fall for overwintering grounds in Central America. Sandhill cranes travel through the state after having spent the summer in Alaska, the Canadian territories and provinc- es, and the northern United States. South- western Oklahoma serves as overwintering territory for some of those birds. With billions of birds on the move, there are specific actions you can take to ensure that they are more successful on their ardu- ous, danger-filled journeys. Turn Off the Lights Although it is surprising to many people, most birds migrate at night, using the stars and moon to navigate. Light pol- lution from cities, stadiums, businesses, and homes can create confusion. In many cases, a city or suburb at night can be mistaken for the rising or setting sun. The result can be that birds lose their way. Sad- ly, they often find their way into hazardous environments, crashing into power lines, buildings, and windows. Even more fatal to birds, however, is the energy they waste flying around in con- Ruby-throated hummingbirds breed and raise their young throughout the eastern half of the United States, including Oklahoma. During the fall, these tiny, pow- erful birds migrate to Central America, with some birds staying along the Gulf Coast, the southern Atlantic coast, and the tip of Florida. Photo courtesy of Kayla Eylers, WildCare Oklahoma Fellow.