Texas skies are thick with migrating birds right now, and Houston-area residents are noticing something troubling on the ground below: a rise in dead hummingbirds turning up in yards and parks. Fall migration is underway across the state.
The scale of the movement is enormous. According to Audubon Texas, approximately one out of every three to four birds migrating through the entire United States passes through Texas airspace, funneling an outsized share of the country's migratory traffic straight through the state during these weeks.
In Houston, the pattern has been hard to miss this fall. As reported by Click2Houston, residents and wildlife advocates have noticed more hummingbirds than usual this season, along with a troubling number that never complete their trip south. One resident described a stark shift in what he finds on his property: “Three years ago, usually one bird, two birds, three birds, and recently I was able to pick up between 12 to 15 birds and even more.”
Why Hummingbirds Keep Hitting Houston's Glass
Weather may also contribute to the hummingbird deaths.
The danger isn't limited to Houston. Nearly 400 migratory birds died in a single night after colliding with a 23-story building in Galveston, according to Audubon. The building owner ultimately agreed to turn off floodlights for the rest of that migration season after advocacy from conservation groups.
How Nighttime Flight Turns Deadly Near Bright Buildings
Migrating birds typically start moving 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, with the heaviest traffic two to three hours later, according to BirdCast's regional migration dashboard. They can fly as high as 10,000 feet above the ground. Nighttime lighting may contribute to bird deaths near buildings.
BirdCast estimated more than 7.2 million birds crossing Texas. Nationwide bird deaths from collisions with manmade structures are estimated at between 100 million and 1 billion birds every year, according to Audubon.
What Texans Are Being Asked To Do
The Lights Out, Texas! campaign is asking residents, businesses and institutions across the state to reduce unnecessary lighting during migration. Audubon Texas recommends turning off non-essential lights every night during the season, and the effort is facilitated by Audubon Texas in alliance with conservation nonprofits, Audubon chapters, universities, government organizations and local communities. As reported by CW39 Houston, Texans are being encouraged to turn off non-essential indoor and outdoor lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Beyond flipping switches, BirdCast advises closing blinds, curtains or shades in lit rooms to keep light from escaping through windows.
None of these fixes require major investment. For Houston residents already noticing more casualties on the ground, small changes at home may be a direct way to help birds make it through.
