13 Million Birds Will Fly Over Michigan Tonight

Most of us never really think about what’s happening in the sky above Michigan after we go to bed. Unless there’s a storm rolling in, we’re probably not giving it a second thought.

Tonight, however, there’s going to be a whole lot happening up there, and residents are being asked to help by turning off some of their lights.

Millions of Birds Will Fly Over Michigan Tonight

According to Purdue University’s AeroEco Lab, approximately 13.4 million birds are expected to pass over Michigan tonight, Wednesday, September 9. That’s a lot of birds when you really stop and think about it.

It’s all part of the annual fall migration as birds leave Michigan and head toward warmer areas for the winter. I sure wish I could join them.

Most of these birds migrate at night, which I had no idea, with some flying thousands of feet above the ground. That means millions of them could pass right over us without most people ever seeing or hearing a thing.

Another 11 million birds could make their way across the state Thursday night. That’s more than 24 million birds moving through Michigan over two nights. Crazy.

Why Michigan Residents Are Asked to Turn Off Their Lights

Michigan residents are being asked to shut off any outdoor lights they don’t need and close their blinds between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. tonight.

Apparently, bright lights can confuse the birds and pull them toward houses and buildings, where they could crash into something. Turning off a few lights tonight just helps make their trip south a little safer.

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You can follow the migration using BirdCast’s live Michigan dashboard. It uses weather radar to estimate how many birds are flying, along with their direction, speed, and altitude.

It’s pretty wild knowing all of this happens above us while most of us are sleeping.

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Filed Under: Birds