Wild Birds

Migration Obstacle Courses: Human Infrastructure and Bird Welfare

Migrating birds face an increasingly complex landscape of human-created obstacles including wind turbines, glass buildings, communication towers, and oil slicks that kill millions during each migration.

Key Facts

Communication towers kill an estimated 6.8 million birds annually in the US
Glass buildings kill 100 million to 1 billion birds annually in the US through window strikes
Wind turbines kill 140,000-500,000 birds annually in the US
Oil spills on migration routes can affect thousands of birds simultaneously
Light pollution disorients nocturnal migrants and funnels them toward urban death traps

Welfare Considerations

Individual migrating birds encountering these obstacles experience acute trauma from impact injuries, drowning in oil, or entanglement. Many survive initial strikes but die later from internal injuries. The cumulative welfare impact across hundreds of millions of individual birds makes human-caused migration mortality one of the most significant animal welfare issues in the natural world.

What You Can Do

Apply window collision deterrents to buildings along migration corridors
Turn off or dim building lights during peak migration periods in April-May and September-October
Support regulatory requirements for bird-safe glass in new buildings
Donate to organizations advocating for bird-friendly building and infrastructure design
Participate in migration monitoring programs to track and report casualties