Bird migration heading through Southwestern Pennsylvania – keep lights off at night
If you look up tonight, Pittsburgh skies should be filled with birds.
More than 31,000 birds were expected to fly over the city Sunday and Monday night, according to the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program.
An estimated 18,000 birds are expected tonight.
The birds are among the almost 900 million birds predicted to be migrating across the United States Sunday and Monday night, one of the largest migration weekends in the fall.
The migration is expected to begin in Southwestern Pennsylvania at around 7 p.m., leaving about an hour of daylight to watch it.
Among the species that will pass overhead on their way south to more tropical destinations the scarlet tanager, wood thrush, black-and-white warbler, and sparrows.
According to the National Audubon Society, most travel at night, calling out as they fly so that flock-mates can stay together.
Many species have distinctive calls, so birders can identify them as they pass over.
But, the Heritage Program noted, artificial lights can confuse birds and cause them to become disoriented or fly into buildings. To protect the migrating birds, the organization advises turning off as many outdoor lights as possible from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.