Hi #LdnOnt – we’re at that special time that only comes twice a year: bird migration! Between August and November millions of birds will pass through our region on their way south for the winter. We can all help birds safely reach their destination with some simple actions... 1/

The simplest thing you can do to help birds migrate is TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS AT NIGHT! All non-essential indoor or outdoor lighting should be turned off after dark. Birds need be able to see celestial cues (e.g. stars) in the night sky to know where they’re going 2/

Another thing you can do is help birds see and not crash into your windows. Collisions with buildings kill hundreds of millions of birds every year, but can be prevented! There are many products out there for treating glass, but DIY solutions work too 3/ https://abcbirds.org/get-involved/bird-smart-glass/

If you own a cat, PLEASE keep it leashed or indoors (at least) during bird migrations. A single pet cat can kill a ton of birds without their owner’s knowledge If you see a cat roaming your community, consider finding and speaking to its owner 4/ https://catsandbirds.ca/research/estimated-number-of-birds-killed-by-house-cats/

As birds pass through urban areas some are bound to get into trouble. Wildlife rescues & rehabs are inundated with bird patients around migration. Fixing up a bird for release has a cost and most facilities rely on donations. Consider supporting @salthaven_org and others! 5/

There are all kinds of citizen science programs happening during migration, like Global Bird Rescue https://birdsafe.ca/gbr/  If you see a bird strike a window in #ldnont consider snapping a picture of it and posting it to the @iNaturalist collisions project https://inaturalist.ca/projects/bird-window-collisions-in-london-middlesex-ontario

For real time updates on bird migration in the region I recommend following @DrBirdCast @FLAPCanada @ABCbirds @LongPointBirdOb @PeleeIslandBird. Also check out http://birdcast.info  for migration heat maps like this one