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The Blackburnian Warbler is a small songbird with a flame-orange��head. The striking bird largely nests in the far��Northeastern United States, around the Great Lakes, and��into Canada, but when it’s time to head south, this neotropical migrant, which weighs��less than an ounce, wings it all the way to the Andes Mountain in South America. Blackburnians have��been making this trek for thousands of years, but over the past century, the odyssey has become increasingly treacherous. Now tall towers of glass and steel protrude into the sky; houses, roads, and concrete cover the��once virgin landscape; and at night, the world can look like a neverending��Lite Brite. All of these changes, in one way or another,��pose deadly��dangers to the Blackburnian��and millions of other migrating songbirds every year,��putting an abrupt end to their heroic journeys.��

It doesn't have to be this way. Though��we might not be able to reverse human development, we can be��proactive about preventing bird deaths that results from��our man-made obstacles. Below are three ways��you can��personally make a difference. Birds are incredibly adaptive and resilient,��but��even a little effort on our part��can help them go a long way—perhaps even to��the Andes.��

Make Your��Windows Obvious��

Anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion birds a year are estimated to die as a result of impacts with clear or reflective glass. Windows can confuse��birds in a couple of ways. Sometimes the glass reflects the trees and surrounding landscape, causing the bird to think the reflection is just more of the natural world.��Sometimes the window can make��it appear that there is an open��space on the other side.��Either way, the result is often the same: a lethal impact. Preventing these strikes, however, is fairly easy.

For starters, putting decals on your windows can��drastically reduce bird strikes. And because birds are used to darting through narrow spaces, make sure you use multiple��decals close enough together��to actually deter them (despite what you often see, just one or two in the middle of a window won't do). The gaps between each decal shouldn't be bigger than 2"x4"��inches, or no larger��than the space a sparrow would��fly through.��

If colored decals don't appeal, you can use ,��strips of, or��opt for, which��are less apparent to the human eye but remain highly visible to birds (when applying them, still stick to the same spacing guidelines). You could also get a��little creative, putting up streamers, beads, or making your own bird decorations that could also prevent��strikes. And for the slackers out there, here’s something to feel good about: Dirty windows also reduce impacts. So next time you are starting to feel��behind on your chores, give yourself��a break. You'll also be giving one to the birds.��

Go Lights Out

Another easy way to prevent bird impacts is simply to keep your household or apartment��lights off from dusk until dawn. Many birds that��migrate during the night—the Blackburnian��included—use��the stars and moon to help guide their way. But now that the landscape below them twinkles with artificial��light,��birds can easily be confused. Studies suggest that up to a million birds a year can die because of light pollution.��Sometimes the birds��are��attracted��to or disoriented by��the lights and run into a building or window. Other times they can get��“trapped” by a city's glow or��powerful beams, exhausting themselves as they continously circle.��

The��9/11 Memorial's Tribute in Lights, which features dozens of powerful��bulbs pointed skyward, is perhaps the most famous example of this hazard. Every year, the beams catch thousands of migrating birds that are lured by the glow. Stuck flying around��the beam,��birds waste valuable energy they need to fuel their long journeys.��But thanks to the hard work of��New York City ̽����ѡ,��the city now partners with the chapter to monitor��how many birds get trapped. When the number gets too high,��they shut the lights for 20-30 minutes to let the birds escape and��continue along their way.

This is just one example of how ̽����ѡ’s Lights Out initiative is��making��a difference. By reducing light pollution we can save birds and many other wildlife disoriented by lights—turtles coming ashore to nest, for example, can also��get turned around by artificial lighting. In addition to just turning off your inside lights manually, homeowners should also make sure external lighting is either off or has a shield, and to use timers in case you are away or forget. With these simple actions, you can contribute to a nationwide movement aimed at saving migrating birds and reducing��your��energy consumption.

Become an Advocate����

Putting up decals and flipping the switch��will certainly help birds, but perhaps the best thing you can do for them��is to become an advocate on their behalf. Speaking at��city planning meetings, making appointments with your elected representatives, and letter writing are all ways to possibly affect much larger changes. For example, campaigning for your city to enact bird-friendly architecture guidelines can produce real results, such as the Golden Gate ̽����ѡ helped get implemented in San Francisco, Oakland, and Richmond, California. And��when the bright lights of a building in Texas led hundreds of migrating birds to their death this past spring, Houston ̽����ѡ worked with the building's��owner��to turn the lights off.��

You, too, can make this sort of impact, and an easy way to start is by writing letters informing others of the��problem—and the solutions. Many people are unaware that lights��pose such a threat to birds, so this one��act could make an extroardinary difference. In fact, shutting the lights off in a single building reduced bird deaths by 80 percent, one study found. To get you started,��we’ve created two different form letters: one to send an elected official in your town or city, and��another to send people who manage commercial or residential buildings in your community.��Just copy these form letters, fill out a few spaces to personalize, and send them off. Once you do, you'll officially be an advocate for birds. It's that simple.����