Spring and fall are busy times for bird migration. As I write this in May 2026, there are more birds migrating over the United States than there are people in this country. The amazing bird migrations provide evidence of design in nature, not of survival of the fittest by chance. That is especially true because those migrations often benefit other species more than the migrating birds, and especially migrations that go beyond where the birds could find warmer weather.
Birds migrate to find food, to find a place to reproduce, to avoid unpleasant weather, and even to benefit other species of life. In the Northern Hemisphere, birds travel north in the spring because there is an abundance of insects and plants that provide food. The weather is also suitable for raising chicks. When the weather becomes colder in the fall, they fly south to avoid freezing temperatures. As birds migrate, they benefit life in the various zones they pass through. Thankfully, many birds don’t migrate and remain in one area all year.
Factors that influence the number of birds traveling on any particular day include weather and light pollution. One factor that has dramatically affected the amazing bird migrations is sky glow. Lights from vehicles, homes, and businesses cause light pollution that has become a major problem for birds, especially in metropolitan areas. Excessive upward-directed light in the evening hours can cause birds to go off course and even run into buildings or other structures. We can help the birds by restricting stren oetlights to face the ground and keeping lighting to a minimum, especially during migration seasons.
how many birds are in the sky over the United States today and to learn more about the Audubon Society’s “Lights Out” program. It is essential for us to be good stewards of God’s gifts and to protect the birds from danger. Birds are essential to all other forms of life on Earth, including humans.
— Roland Earnst © 2026