‘Every Bird Counts:’ How city residents can help protect migratory birds

Ahead of World Migratory Bird Day on 9 May, UN News spoke to Catherine Quayle, Communications Director at the Wild Bird Fund in New York.

This year’s theme, Every Bird Counts, Your Observations Matter, highlights the urgent need to protect migratory birds and the ecosystems they depend on.

UN News: For people in cities, it can feel like wildlife is far away – how are migratory birds still part of our daily lives?

Catherine Quayle: If you live anywhere with trees and a bit of green, even in the middle of Manhattan, you can hear birds when you wake up. Their songs change over the year. You don’t even need to leave home to witness the ecological diversity outside your window.

Birds also often migrate at night. In the evening, you might see gulls or herons migrating to roost. Look up early in the morning or in the evening, and you’ll see birds without leaving home.

UN News: New York City sits on the Atlantic Flyway; basically a bird highway. How many birds pass over our heads during peak migration?  

Catherine Quayle: BirdCast, a tool from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, uses weather radar to track bird migration, showing how many are flying and when.

On peak nights, a few billion birds may be in the air over the US at once. Over New York City, as many as a million can pass in a single night, but most people are unaware because it happens at night.

UN News: What are some of the challenges birds face when they migrate?

Catherine Quayle: One of the biggest challenges is habitat loss. Birds migrate to find specific food available at certain times of year. For generations, they have learned where to go, for example, Central America in winter. 

But if that habitat has been taken down, built over, paved, or logged, many more birds will not survive when they arrive at their wintering or breeding grounds.

The other major threat in New York City is window collisions. This is likely much worse than 50 years ago because modern architecture is very glass-centric. Highly glazed surfaces and all-glass windows are very popular, and that is just very dangerous for birds.

UN News: Are there certain types of buildings or locations more dangerous for birds?

Catherine Quayle: Skyscrapers are dangerous because their bright lights attract birds, drawing them into areas like downtown Manhattan during migration, where glass surfaces reflect nearby trees. The combination of light and glass is highly hazardous.

But homes can be just as risky. Reflections, especially near feeders or trees, often lead to collisions. Homes actually cause the majority of collisions, they’re just less noticeable because it’s one or two birds at a time, whereas in downtown Manhattan you might find a hundred.

Migratory birds are especially at risk because they arrive at night, tired, disoriented, and in unfamiliar territory. 

UN News: What can we do on a daily basis to contribute to bird conservation?

Catherine Quayle: You can keep your outdoor lights off at night so the skies stay darker and birds aren’t attracted to the light. In a smaller community, people turning out their lights makes a big difference. 

One of the best things you can do is plant native species in your garden. Do a little research on what species are native to your area and devote some of your outdoor space to native species to attract insects and birds.

UN News: Do you have a memorable rescue story that really stuck with you?

Catherine Quayle: When I visit a nearby park to watch birds, I pass several buildings where window collisions are common. During migration season, I check for injured birds. 

On one trip, I spotted a bird in the road beneath a glass skybridge – structures like these are especially dangerous because birds don’t expect them and often collide with the windows. 

I ran down the hill and scooped the bird up; seconds later, a car drove over the spot where it had been. The bird was a scarlet tanager in beautiful yellow plumage. It was later rehabilitated and released, and it would certainly have been hit if I hadn’t picked it up.

UN News: For people who may not think of themselves as bird people, what’s one small thing they can do?

Catherine Quayle: Start by noticing the birds around you, what you see and hear when you go outside. As you pay attention, your curiosity will grow. You might pick up binoculars or join a bird walk. 

During migration, many free bird walks are offered in local parks, often led by experts, and they’re really fun.

The first time I walked into Central Park with a pair of binoculars many years ago and started looking at all the birds I hadn’t noticed before, it blew my mind. I was so excited and couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve been doing it ever since, and that was 25 years ago.