It’s Fall Migration!
Look up in the Sky…it’s a Bird… it’s Fall Migration!
While we can all agree that summer has come to a close all too soon, the change in seasons is an optimal time to take a moment (or two) to look up in the sky and witness all of the wonderful birds of fall migration! During this period, millions of birds begin their journey in pursuit of warmer suns—oftentimes to destinations thousands of miles away in the Caribbean, as well as Central and South America.
Although many bird species take flight overnight during the migration, there are still opportunities to spot birds making their way during the day, including robins, hummingbirds, blue jays, geese, hawks, and eagles. In general, birds chart their course south along the four main North American Flyways.
You don’t need special equipment to view the birds flying south—your eyes are perfect tools for witnessing this natural phenomenon! However, if you would like to get a closer view of these birds in motion, we recommend a good pair of binoculars—particularly 10×42 binoculars, which are an excellent choice for clarity and a wide field of view.
Another great tool is BirdCast, which predicts the peak fall migration dates for 1,000 U.S. cities, including:
Boston: October 5th- November 1st
New York: October 8th- November 4th
Washington, DC: September 22nd- October 24th
Atlanta: September 23rd- October 17th
Miami: September 30th- October 18th
Chicago: September 3rd- September 30th
Detroit: September 4th- October 2nd
Houston: September 6th – October 11th
Las Vegas: September 8th- October 9th
Los Angeles: September 9th- October 11th
(Source: Birdcast.info)
What are the peak fall migration dates for your respective city? Which birds are you excited to see as you look up in the sky over the next few months?
Happy Fall Birding!