A Black-throated Green Warbler perched on a rock. Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Look up! Millions of birds are traveling through Texas as part of the annual spring migration.
Why it matters: Texas sits in the Central Flyway, a superhighway for birds traveling south before the winter months and back north during the spring.
State of flight: Fall migration happens between August and November. Spring migration peaks mid-April to mid-May.
Warblers, ruby-throated hummingbirds and northern parulas are among the dozens of species that travel through Texas.
Most of the migration happens at night, and some birds travel as far as the Arctic in the spring.
By the numbers: An estimated 14.8 million birds crossed Texas between Wednesday night and Thursday morning alone — one of the busiest times for birds last week.
Threat level: Drought, urbanization and heat can threaten birds by making it hard for them to find food and reproduce, per the National Audubon Society.
Brightly-lit buildings can also be disorienting to birds.
What to do: Lights Out, Texas! asks residents, businesses and institutions to turn off or dim nonessential lights at night during peak migration and reduce window reflections during the day to help prevent bird collisions.
What to watch: Use the BirdCast dashboard to check which birds are flying through the area.
