SAN ANTONIO - We’ve all seen it. Maybe it was flocks flying in V-shaped formation, filling the sky at dawn or dusk. Perhaps it was majestic cranes stopping on a long journey to rest by a river, a golden eagle soaring on an updraft, or maybe it was a tiny songbird perching at a feeder.
These can all be part of the incredible migratory patterns of birds. Each year since 2006, World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in May, and again on the second Saturday in October. These annual events are part of an international outreach and education program celebrating migratory birds.
Last year in October, the celebration centered on the theme “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird,” and this year on May 14, the program will focus on awareness of the impacts of light pollution on bird migration and provide information and resources to help mitigate the impact of artificial lighting on birds.
For biologist Christopher Leach, like many others at the US Army Environmental Command, the focus on birds is more than just a yearly endeavor.
“Really, just one day is not enough - it understates the importance. In a lot of ways, Migratory Bird Day could be every day, as these migrations are constantly happening around the world, and are so important to our global environment,” said Leach. “Birds are considered an indicator species, and a diverse mix of bird species is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.”
Leach, who is based in San Antonio at USAEC headquarters, said partnering with organizations like the National Audubon Society and local, state, and national conservation organizations and agencies, play an important role in the Army’s work supporting migrating birds. He also pointed to the beneficial educational opportunities these partnerships bring.
“People don’t know enough of what they can do, how they can help,” he said. “Just simple things like turning off your porch lights at night when birds are migrating or covering your plate glass windows. There are a number of things people can do.”
Migrating birds face multiple threats including habitat loss, illegal hunting and outdoor cats, as well as poisoning, climate change, and collisions with power lines, wind turbines and glass-covered buildings. These birds are highly dependent on a network of sites along their migration routes for breeding, feeding, resting and overwintering.
At U.S. Army installations along major migratory corridors or “flyways,” helping conserve habitat and protect these natural bird migrations is a major focus. One prominent example can be found at Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where teams there have worked to preserve and restore populations of black-capped vireos, a songbird that was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1987. Due in part to the installations’ conservation efforts, the species was removed from the list – or “delisted due to recovery” in 2018. Monitoring of black-capped vireos at both locations is ongoing and continues to show success.
Another prominent example of Army stewardship is the partnership between the Nebraska Army National Guard, U.S. Geological Survey, and the private conservation group the Crane Trust. Together they form the Crane Protection Team, dedicated to supporting endangered whooping cranes that migrate through multiple states, including Nebraska.
Larry Vrtiska, Nebraska Military Department Environmental Program manager, said the Crane Protection Team developed a predictive model that enabled the Nebraska ARNG to plan its training flight paths and aviation exercises to minimize the likelihood of interaction with migrating birds.
The team also helped drive the enhancement of habitat in key sites around 357 acres of trust-owned lands, and led efforts to bury 2.7 miles of power lines along the Platte River corridor. Power lines pose a significant threat to newly fledged whooping cranes and other large birds such as eagles, hawks and owls.
By contributing to the protection of migratory birds and endangered species, the Army has established a strong partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which in turn improves the efficiency of consultations and obtaining permits for military construction and readiness activities. “Protecting cranes protects the mission,” Vrtiska said.
Other U.S. Army units around the country are also dedicating time, energy, and resources to protecting birds and their habitat, while continuing to support vital training and testing missions.
Keeli Marvel, a natural resources specialist at Dugway Proving Ground, said there are multiple projects involving bird conservation on the installation, including upcoming work on burrowing owls in coordination with a local university research program, and surveys of pinyon jay nesting colonies.
She also said the installation has 11 golden eagle nesting territories – each one containing several nests. Working with a non-profit partner HawkWatch, a raptor conservation program based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the team at Dugway is carefully monitoring the birds using satellite and drone technologies.
“We’ve been putting specialized backpacks on eagles for several years, to learn more about their migration patterns, habitat use, and behavior,” Marvel said. “Through the use of newer technology like these trackers and drones, the Army collects data that maximizes use of training lands while reducing impacts to wildlife.”
The Army also participates in monitoring programs like Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions. Started in Colorado in 2007, the program has grown to become the second largest breeding bird monitoring program in the U.S., conducting surveys and developing population estimates on breeding bird populations. This work not only helps protect migrating birds and other species, but also allows for a deeper understanding of any impact U.S. Army activities may have and helps to shape plans to preserve mission-integrity and good land stewardship.
“Across the entire nation and even around the world, the Army is serving as a good steward and environmental proponent,” said Col. Alicia M. Masson, commander of USAEC. “We are proving, time and again, that conservation and Army training and operations can in fact be compatible. This is important work, done by Army environmental professionals, every day.”
Social Sharing