Westland, Turn Off the Lights Tonight. Millions of Birds Are Coming Overhead
You probably won't hear them.
You probably won't see most of them.
But while Westland is sleeping tonight, an incredible amount of traffic could be moving through the sky above us.
Bird traffic.
About 13.4 million birds are predicted to migrate over Michigan tonight, September 9, as the fall migration begins ramping up across the state.
And there's one incredibly simple thing Westland residents can do to help them get where they're going.
Turn off the lights.
Why tonight?
Fall migration is underway, and Michigan is getting busy.
According to BirdCast data, approximately 37.2 million birds had already migrated out of Michigan during the first week of September.
Tonight could bring another major wave.
Researchers with Purdue University's AeroEco Lab are forecasting about 13.4 million birds moving over Michigan tonight, followed by roughly 11 million Thursday night.
Residents are being encouraged to turn off or dim unnecessary outdoor lighting and close blinds and curtains between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
But why would your porch light matter to a bird flying south?
Most of this happens while we're sleeping
This is the part we found fascinating.
Many migrating birds travel at night.
Artificial light can attract and disorient them, particularly around developed areas. Instead of continuing on their route, birds can become confused by brightly illuminated buildings and neighborhoods.
That can lead to exhaustion and increase the risk of collisions with windows and buildings.
Michigan Audubon recommends turning off unnecessary exterior lights, dimming interior lights and closing shades during migration periods.
Something as simple as flipping a switch can make the night sky a little safer.
And Westland is an interesting place to watch
We have something running directly through our community that makes this story particularly relevant.
Hines Park and the Middle Rouge River.
Hines Park stretches through Westland along the Middle Rouge, giving birds water, trees, wetlands and green space in the middle of a heavily developed part of Wayne County.
The Rouge River watershed supports an impressive variety of birds, including herons, egrets, wood ducks, hawks, falcons, owls, hummingbirds, kingfishers and numerous other species.
So while millions of birds are moving across Michigan, some may be passing directly over the neighborhoods, parks and river corridor we see every day.
You might never know they're there
That's probably the coolest part.
Westland will look pretty normal tonight.
Cars will travel down Wayne Road.
The lights will be on along Ford Road.
Hines Park will get dark.
People will go to bed.
And thousands upon thousands of birds could be passing overhead on journeys that may eventually take some of them hundreds or even thousands of miles south.
By tomorrow morning, many will already be somewhere else.
So Westland, give them a dark sky tonight
You don't have to shut your entire house down.
Just take a look around before going to bed.
Turn off the porch light if you don't need it.
Switch off unnecessary backyard lighting.
Close the blinds.
Dim lights near large windows.
It's a small thing.
But tonight, we aren't the only ones traveling through Westland.
Some visitors are just passing through.
And they could use a little darkness to help them find their way.
Want to watch the migration?
BirdCast allows you to follow bird migration using weather radar and even see estimates for individual counties.
