AUSTIN, Texas — Migration season for birds is at its peak right now.
It is that time of year to see plenty of birds in the Lone Star State. In fact, around one billion birds will fly through Texas.
"Texas is one of the biggest places to go birding," Audubon Texas Engagement Manager Chloe Crumley said. "We see about one billion birds every spring and fall migration. We some of most species in the United States. Our second competitor is California."
Crumley said this is the peak of migration season.
"They are going up north, or they are settling here. They are migrating from Central and South America and coming up to nest. We will see birds nesting in our state," Crumley said.
Austin is a big bird watching city, and the birds are coming here to breed.
“You can see scarlet tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, even the painting bunting and Texas native Golden-Cheeked Warbler," Crumley said.
But while these birds are migrating north, a big problem they face is buildings and homes with lights on at night. That's the time birds travel the most, and many birds have collided into buildings in Downtown Austin.
"We have seen a handful of collisions. We continue to educate our Downtown Alliance, educate the building owners, operators and city council members to turn the lights off from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m.," Crumley said.
One of biggest bird collisions happened in Galveston in 2017, when 400 birds collided into a building that was lit up, prompting the start of the "Lights Out" campaign.
In Chicago, during the fall migration, around 1,000 birds were killed after colliding in a building.
Homeowners and apartment owners are also encouraged to keep their lights off from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. until May 12.