International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) is the second Saturday of May every year and this year we celebrate on May 14. We snatched this poetic quote for today’s #Wednesday Wisdom from avian ecologist Dr. Jeff Wells who is currently the Science and Policy Director for the Boreal Songbird Initiative. The Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI) is dedicated to outreach and education about the importance of the boreal forest to North America’s birds.
Jeff’s words reference the sublime sounds bird night migration. Did you know birds migrate at night to avoid predators and the atmosphere tends to be calmer? As birds use celestial cues in the dark, we humans sleep unaware of the massive bird populations overhead. Jeff has documented these migrations with many hours of recordings and especially in the boreal forest areas of North America.
Our silhouetted greater scaup image was taken at sunset by a FWS employee in the Warwick, RI area near the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge. It is a beautiful visual reminder how wildlife refuges are waystations along so many migration routes; the sweet light of dusk is a great time for photographing these nighttime travelers. An estimated 55% of the Greater Scaup species’ North American population breeds within the Boreal Forest.
So “spread your wings for bird conservation” as the IMBD slogan says and learn more about the legislation that has protected birds over the years and especially the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. #birdday
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region 