Denver Audubon

Night Flights: Why We Should Turn Out The Lights

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:34:08 GMT

Dim the Lights for Birds at Night

At the time of writing this, it is predicted that tonight, March 7th, 14 million birds will fly over the United States. A profound number, yet a small percentage of the 3.5-4 billion winged beings that take to the wind each Spring and Fall, weaving together the airwaves and the planet.

This is bird migration.

Each Spring and Fall, migratory birds, which make up 70% of terrestrial birds, travel between their wintering and non-wintering grounds. 80% of these billions of travelers take to the sky at night, navigating by the stars, the earth’s rhythms and magnetism, and casting silhouettes across the moon. They fly most frequently between 11PM and 3AM, when their gentle feet alight on the next stop towards their destination.

Dr. Kyle Horton, Assistant Professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, shared with us that amid all the scientific facts he shares, the aforementioned one is what most consistently and profoundly impacts listeners- the wondrous phenomenon that is millions of birds flying between us and the stars as we sleep.

Together, we wondered what it is about these night migrations that inspires so many. We considered it might be the beautiful quality of mystery, how it adds layers to the avian story. That the red-headed, yellow-bodied Western Tanager at your feeder in the morning was up all night, traversing the infinite sky in his 1 oz feathered vessel. But, we know, too, that we cannot claim to know what it is that sparks the deepened appreciation in your heart.

We can claim to know, unfortunately, that our feathered friends’ night journeys are under threat, with 2.5 billion migratory birds lost since 1970. A main cause of this devastation is the rampant existence of artificial lighting! From a charming lane with a single streetlight, to dense metropolitan areas, their luminance decreases the health of migratory bird populations. The light pollution over inhabited areas, otherwise known as skyglow, can both attract and disorient birds, which leads to an inability to reach their destination. The exhaustion from the extra expended energy can also make them more susceptible to threats such as predators and window collisions- one of the leading causes of bird death.

So, what can we do?

Here in Colorado, we are part of the Central Flyway, one of four main migratory routes for birds in North America. In fact, on September 30th of 2024, approximately 25 million birds traveled across the state of Colorado between 11PM and 3AM. These birds, and birds around the globe, need our help and there are a variety of ways that we can give it.

1. Turn off non-essential lights from 11PM-6AM during migration season.

2. If indoor lights are needed at this time, install curtains that prevent light from emanating outside.

3. Install shields on outdoor lighting that prevent light from emitting upwards into the sky.

4. Install motion sensors wherever possible on outdoor lights so they illuminate only when necessary.

5. Advocate for businesses to turn out lights and for environmental laws to consider the health of migratory bird populations.

6. When converting to new lighting, assess the quality and quantity of light needed and avoid over-lighting with newer, brighter technology.

To get reminders to turn your lights out during peak migration, you can sign up for alerts here: https://aeroecolab.com/uslights .

Lastly, want to know how we knew about how many birds will be traveling tonight? Through an app called Birdcast created by CornellLab, UMassHerst, and our very own CSU, you can watch real time migrations! Click the link below for real time bird migrations.

https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/

Birdy, It’s Cold Outside! How Birds Survive the Winter

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:32:00 GMT

As the snow blankets sidewalks, forests, and meadows, the world gets a little quieter, a little colder. Many animals, like bears, have descended into their dens for hibernation, while buzzing insects have gone dormant for the season. Humans, too, feel the slowing and the softening. We stoke fires, cook warming foods, and observe the glisten of the white wonderland outside our windows.

While most creatures large and small are tucked away into the cradle of mother nature, there are some whose fervent foraging continues to bring their fast-beating hearts to our environment and yards. We’re talking about birds!

Over thousands of years, these birds have evolved adaptations to navigate the rhythms of nature. Some do, in fact, fly south. Flocks of cranes, and other species, ride the wind to overwinter in warmer climates. But, today, we want to talk about the bird species that remain in snow hewn places. Birds that, like us, are going about their days in Denver, finding the best ways to care for themselves amid seasonal challenges.

When navigating the winter, birds face their fair share of adversity. Like us, they must contend with frigid air and be able to regulate their body temperature. But while the healthy temperature for a human is 96.8 degrees, a thermometer will tell you that a bird’s should be closer to 105. To add to this already life threatening obstacle, food- an essential ingredient in regulating body temperature- is much more difficult to find for our avian friends. So, how exactly do these feathered beings survive the harsh conditions of winter?

Insulation

There are several ways birds grapple with earth’s cycles. One of which is the concept of insulation. While most cold-weather birds will eat more in the fall in order to pack on weight, they also utilize their feathers to increase warmth. Birds naturally have weather resistant feathers. But, did you know that they have a base layer of downy ones that actually retain their body heat? In the winter, they will fluff these feathers, which traps hundreds of air pockets and maximizes their already natural insulation.

Taking Cover

What do you do when the weather is storming, howling, and unpredictable? Most times, we will seek shelter, protecting ourselves by staying home or indoors. Birds, too, will find refuge and, often, together. During particularly cold and tempestuous weather movements, birds will retreat to dense thickets, tree cavities, or between the other bodies of birds huddled together for warmth.

Tucked Away

Have you ever forgotten your gloves at home on a particularly biting day? Your belly is warm but your fingers feel as if they might as well just fall right off. Now imagine, instead, that you seem to have forgotten your pants, socks, AND shoes!

While birds may have feathers to stay toasty, you may notice that their legs and feet are bare. To combat this, many birds will tuck them away. Like flamingos and geese, some pull one leg into their body at a time, while some, like finches, will crouch down, resting their warm core on top of their featherless legs.

Some birds, like chickadees, maintain a separate temperature for their body and feet. While they regulate their body at the aforementioned 105 degrees Fahrenheit, their lower extremities can be as low as 30. Reducing heat dispersal, reduces energy spent, which requires less energy to be sourced. In a time where food is more sparse, this enables winter birds to not overly expend energy.

Cache-ing In

As you meander down a trail, you walk by a tree and notice hundreds of holes dotted up and down its trunk. It’s the granary of a woodpecker! Woodpeckers, and other birds, will collect seeds and nuts, placing them in these holey storage containers for days when food is hard to find. In fact, Chickadees can store up to 80,000 seeds AND remember where they all are. In order to support winter birds, having a birdfeeder with high fat seeds can provide extra energy for birds when food is scarce.

Winter is beautiful, albeit challenging. As we walk along rivers, observing ducks ride the crisp ripples, or watch a crow’s morning commute from our bedroom window, here’s hoping that we can bring more honor and respect to the animals that walk and fly alongside us. Life is magnificent, wondrous, and, at times, taxing and testing. Every species has their unique experience and umwelt, a perceptual bubble based on senses, that requires we face life differently. Differently but with the same profundity.

The post Birdy, It’s Cold Outside! How Birds Survive the Winter appeared first on Denver Audubon .

What is the Christmas Bird Count?

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 18:42:00 GMT

Did you know that there is a 125 year relationship between birds and Christmas? Although birds have been associated with the holiday for an even longer time, cue the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song, we are talking about the Christmas Bird Count! The CBC not only has us see turtle doves, swans, and geese, but can sometimes result in a cumulative witnessing of over 40 million birds (we promise we’ll get to what we mean).

So what exactly is the Christmas Bird Count?

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, many hunters participated in a tradition known as the “side hunt.” The intention was a competition to see who could hunt the most furry and feathered animals. Around the same time, the noticeable decrease in animal populations encouraged an increase in conservationists. One of which was ornithologist and member of the National Audubon Society, Frank Chapman. In the year 1900, he celebrated December 25th a little differently. Or, a lot differently.

Alongside 26 other committed observers, scientists, citizens, and friends of nature, he established the “Christmas Bird Census.” This new, more respectful tradition was to count birds during the holidays, instead of hunting them. Across the nation, the first 25 CBC’s were held, spanning coast to coast and even including one just two hours south in the city of Pueblo, Colorado.

Over the years, this festive celebration of nature has also become an essential function in bird conservation. The data collected by communities and individuals, just like you, helps the Audubon Society to track the status and health of bird populations. It has provided critical information on climate change and biodiversity, which has given counsel for reports created by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

This data amassed by citizen scientists not only elucidates the aforementioned trends of the planet, but it supports scientists in finding solutions to national, international, and global conservation issues. Unfortunately, it has continued to give us the same prognosis- birds are under threat and we need to make a change.

The good news is that every year, more and more individuals and communities are becoming involved. We know this because last year, the 124th Christmas Bird Count, saw a record-breaking number of participants. From the United States, to Canada, to the Caribbean , Latin America, and Pacific Islands, 83,186 people gathered between December 14th and January 5th to count birds.

These thousands of people were dispersed amongst 2,677 counts, or circles, which are organized by location. Among all of these circles, 40,871,030 birds were observed across North America, including the birds seen here in the greater Denver area. Although this number may seem somewhat unimaginable, it is in fact alarmingly low. Each year we are seeing an increase in observers, who are seeing a decreased number of birds. More eyes on the planet should not mean less birds, and yet, that is what we are being shown.

So, what can we do?

No action is too small. Change is created by an individual and, resultant, collective commitment to betterment. The more that people take inspired action, the more that it inspires and creates awareness for those around them, catalyzing a cascade and propagation of mobilization.

As we move towards the 125th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count, look to your local area to get involved. You can join any of the day counts, or even observe from your backyard bird feeder. To join a count, visit this map here . Once there, zoom in on the Denver area and find a circle near you (green and yellow mean there is still space), hover your mouse over the circle and email the compiler that is listed for that circle.

If you would like to join us, the Denver Audubon, our Denver Urban count covers a circle with a 15-mile diameter that includes the Platte River from North City limits to Mississippi, west to Buckley Field & Rocky Mtn. Arsenal. For birders of all levels, follow the link here to find a location near you and join us in this celebration of nature!

Whether you consider yourself a bird expert or bird curious, your presence matters. Every human that observes birds during this count is an essential source of information that supports ours and the National Audubon’s mission- to protect birds and their habitats while improving the health of the planet and humanity.

We believe in preserving the profound wonder, connection, and joy that remind us of our interconnectedness with the planet, and sometimes there’s just no better way than to witness the festive spirit that is a feathered being. Let’s go birding!

The post What is the Christmas Bird Count? appeared first on Denver Audubon .

7 Simple Actions to Help Birds – #2 Safeguard Birds from Outdoor Cats

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:25:00 GMT

The post 7 Simple Actions to Help Birds – #2 Safeguard Birds from Outdoor Cats appeared first on Denver Audubon .

What’s Happening at Barr Lake State Park?

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:12:00 GMT

The post What’s Happening at Barr Lake State Park? appeared first on Denver Audubon .

Bluebird Boxes for Sale

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:54:00 GMT

Discover our custom cedar Bluebird Boxes, providing cozy homes for bluebirds and other species while supporting Denver Audubon’s conservation efforts. Crafted by Audubon Volunteer Curt Frankenfeld, these durable birdhouses are ideal for various species and available for $35 each.

Email info@denveraudubon.org to order and make a difference in avian conservation today!

More about boxes:

For detailed information on where to put a nestbox, visit The Colorado Bluebird Project .

The post Bluebird Boxes for Sale appeared first on Denver Audubon .