Bird migration hits peak in the Piedmont Triad this week as millions fly north

(WGHP) – You may notice a few more birds in the Triad over the next couple of weeks as birds migrate north.

According to BirdCast , spring migration runs from March 1 through June 15 in the contiguous United States.

When is peak migration?

In the Triad, peak bird migration occurs from April 24 through May 17.

Charlotte and Asheville observe peak migration from April 24 through May 13.

Further east, Burlington, Durham and Raleigh observe peak bird migration from April 26 through May 11.

BirdCast releases bird migration forecasts produced by Colorado State University and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

On the night of April 26, BirdCast is forecasting 262 million birds will be making the trip further north with the majority of migration occurring over Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

BirdCast uses radar data to track bird migration. They define peak migration periods as “seasonal windows during which 50% of total nocturnal bird migration traffic historically passes through each city.” The values are pulled from the radar nearest to cities.

Lights out!

One reason it’s important to know when peak migration occurs has to do with reducing the collision risk for birds.

According to BirdCast , on certain nights, hundreds of millions of birds migrate across North America with the majority of birds beginning their flight 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.

When conditions are good, some birds will fly all night long, landing just before dawn the next morning.

Some birds migrate in nonstop flights of 60 to 100 hours, traveling across oceans and continents.

Because birds typically migrate north overnight, it is critical that we turn off or dim non-essential lights. Light pollution can create hazards and disorient migrating birds.

Many wildlife and bird agencies ask households and businesses to decrease light pollution between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during peak migration in Spring and Fall.

If you’re interested in tracking bird movements throughout peak migration season over the next couple of weeks, visit BirdCast for three-day forecasts .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.