Mass Bird Migration Expected Over Michigan This Week

This news has bird watching enthusiasts across Michigan buzzing!

Keep your eyes and ears open this week as wildlife officials are predicting a very active week for bird migration across Michigan and nationwide. Here's what you can look forward to:

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I've said it many times but I'm still astounded by how quickly it happened: I turned 36 and suddenly I'm obsessed with birds now!

I can't resist the urge to record bird calls with my Merlin ID app anytime I hear an unfamiliar call or grab my binoculars at the slightest flutter outside my window. I've even subscribed to the Michigan DNR's text alert program "Winged Wednesday" to learn which birds have recently been spotted in Michigan. It's my newest hobby!

I was so excited to see the headline from Fox2 Detroit alerting Michiganders to a mass migration that's about to take place above Michigan this week. According to the news outlet,

Over the next 48 hours, birdwatchers have a good chance of spotting birds that are headed back up north after the winter, including warblers and Baltimore orioles. This spike in migration is fueled by high pressure moving counterclockwise in the Gulf of Mexico and blowing up toward the Midwest.

Data shown by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's BirdCast tracker shows close to 10 million birds crossed over Michigan during the overnight hours of May 12, 2025-- with millions more on the way. Adds Fox2 Detroit,

Migrating birds tend to begin migrating 30-45 minutes after sunset and continue through the night, with the greatest influx of birds typically in flight two to three hours after that.

It is recommended homeowners shut off all non-essential outdoor lighting such as flood lights between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Here are the birds you should be listening for in Michigan: