Wild Migratory Bird Welfare and Habitat Corridors

Migratory birds depend on a chain of stopover habitats across thousands of miles. Breaking any link in this chain compromises welfare for billions of birds making twice-annual journeys.

Key Facts

Over 4 billion migratory birds travel between North America and the tropics each year
Stopover habitat loss forces birds to make longer non-stop flights that deplete fat reserves
Building strikes kill an estimated 600 million birds annually in the United States alone
Light pollution disrupts nocturnal migration navigation by attracting birds toward cities
Migratory bird populations have declined by 29% since 1970 in North America

Welfare Considerations

Migratory bird welfare extends across entire hemispheres, making it one of the most geographically complex welfare challenges. Birds that cannot refuel at degraded stopover habitats arrive at breeding grounds in poor condition or die en route. Building strikes cause mass mortality in ways that are viscerally traumatic to witness but happen invisibly at scale. Light pollution disrupts millions of birds nightly during migration windows, causing disorientation and exhaustion. The cumulative welfare impact of migration hazards falls on billions of individual animals. Solutions exist at every scale: individual buildings can install bird-safe glass and lights-out programs, cities can coordinate on dark sky protocols, and international conservation programs can protect critical stopover habitats.

What You Can Do

Apply bird-safe window treatments to your home to prevent collision mortality
Turn off unnecessary lights at night during spring and fall migration seasons
Support birds on a budget by planting native trees and shrubs that provide stopover food
Advocate for bird-safe building standards in your city and for national lights-out programs during migration