Wild Bird Welfare During Migration: Hazards and Conservation

Migratory birds face concentrated welfare hazards during their journeys including window strikes, light pollution, hunting and habitat loss along flyway routes.

Key Facts

Hundreds of millions of birds are killed during migration annually from human-created hazards
Light pollution from buildings disorients migrating birds causing collisions and exhaustion from circling lit structures
Hunting along Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flyways kills millions of migratory birds annually
Stopover habitat loss along migration routes prevents adequate refuelling creating chronic energy deficits
Communication towers kill an estimated 5-7 million birds annually in the USA through collision
Lights Out programmes reducing building illumination during peak migration save significant numbers of birds

Welfare Considerations

Migratory bird welfare reflects the cumulative hazards encountered across thousands of kilometres of travel. Each hazard — window strike, light-induced disorientation, hunting, habitat loss — may individually affect only a proportion of migrating birds, but their combined effect across billions of migration journeys creates an enormous aggregate welfare burden. Many of these hazards are preventable through policy and individual action. Lights Out programmes, bird-safe building design, hunting restrictions and stopover habitat conservation each address specific welfare hazard points along migratory flyways.

What You Can Do

Turn off or reduce lights during peak bird migration seasons to reduce disorientation
Apply bird-safe window treatments to high-risk windows during migration periods
Support stopover habitat conservation along major migratory flyways
Oppose spring hunting of migratory birds which kills birds at their most physiologically stressed period
Participate in migratory bird monitoring to contribute welfare and conservation data