By Selena Cole 

As fall approaches, Canadians who don’t enjoy the winter months aren’t the only ones starting to think about a trip south. You may have noticed mixed flocks of different species of songbirds frequenting your yard or the natural areas surrounding your property. Now that most songbirds have fledged their young and given up their summer nesting territories, it’s common for them to associate with other species as they seek out food in preparation for fall migration and help their young learn to fend for themselves. 

As our little songbirds prepare for migration, they help each other survive by coming together into mixed-species flocks. In the later summer and fall, you’ll see them flitting around your garden and in the shrubby brush and treetops, as they seek out food. These mixed flocks offer increased protection against predators and other dangers, while the birds eagerly seek out food. Most songbird migrants are insect eaters, but some species will switch their diet to fruits and seeds in the later summer and fall. Seeds and berries – saskatoons, chokecherries and gooseberries – are an important source of energy. 

Migratory songbirds that spend the spring and summer in Canada to breed and raise their young, travel great distances in the fall, spending the winter months in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and even as far as South America! Songbirds commonly seen during the spring and summer on Anarchist – hummingbirds, warblers, thrushes, vireos, flycatchers, tangers, grosbeaks, orioles – migrate mostly at night, with some species travelling hundreds of miles at a time. They spend the daytime refueling and resting to build up strength of the next stretch of their journey. 

Why Do Songbirds Fly South for the Winter? 

A birds hormones drive their urge to migrate, enabling them to store the energy they will need for the long flight south and build up their flight muscles. The mechanisms that initiate migratory behaviour in songbirds is not well understood, but day length, changes in temperature, a dwindling food supply and the species of bird, probably all play a role. These same factors, along with the urge to breed, triggers the migration north in the early spring. 

How to Help and Attract Migrating Songbirds 

• One of the best ways to attract songbirds to your yard, anytime of year, is with water. Songbirds LOVE (and need) water, especially given how dry it is on the mountain during the summer and fall months. A shallow bird bath, water bubbler, mister or fountain, is guaranteed to bring birds to your yard. Just make sure to replace the water frequently and clean the bath regularly, as this will minimize the chances of spreading disease. 
• Planting trees, shrubs and flowers that provide a source of food and shelter is another great way to attract birds to your yard. Native plants attract native insects which are an important source of food for migrating (and resident) songbirds. 
• Migrating songbirds encounter many, many hazards on their travels. Cats and collisions with windows kill hundreds of millions of migrating songbirds every year. We can help by keeping our pet cats indoors or on a leash (this is safer for your pet), and placing stickers or streamers on windows. 
• While it may be tempting to put out bird feeders in the later summer and early fall, it’s best to wait until October when the bears are heading into their dens to hibernate. Bird seed, like garbage and BBQs, is an attractant that should be secured to avoid habituating predators to this food source. There is no shortage of natural food for migrating songbirds – everything from insects to berries to seeds to late summer flowers in your garden. They have everything they need. 

We are lucky to have songbirds that make Anarchist their home year-round. Songbirds that overwinter here are well adapted to the snow and cold. Some species, like our resident woodpeckers and jays, will spend part of the summer storing food like nuts and berries which they will utilize during the winter. Songbirds like mountain and black-capped chickadees and red- and white-breaster nuthatches, forage for seeds, berries and insects that are hiding under tree bark or rocks. If you do put up feeders in the late fall and winter, remember to keep them clean to prevent the spread of disease. 

Want more information about songbirds and bird migration, including real-time migration monitoring? 

Go to the following helpful links: https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/ https://flap.org/bird-migration/ https://birdcanada.com/birds-of-canada/bird-migration/ https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/feature-stories/migratory-birds.html Selena Cole is a retired environmental scientist and program lead for the AMFRS Wildlife Safety Program