Spooky Season and How You Can Help
- brcsonoma
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
Autumn Migration: Check Out The Birds Passing Through Sonoma County
Every fall, Sonoma County becomes a rest stop for thousands of weary travelers—not people, but birds on an epic journey. From warblers and tanagers to raptors and waterfowl, Sonoma County’s October skies shimmer with movement as our avian neighbors head south in search of warmer climates and abundant food.
You might spot Western Tanagers flashing their golden feathers through oak woodlands, Yellow-rumped Warblers darting through your garden, or a majestic Sharp-shinned Hawk tracing invisible highways above the ridgelines. At night, if you listen closely, you can even hear faint flight calls overhead as flocks navigate by the stars.
For the birds who falter along the way—flying into windows, exhausted and lacking food, or displaced by an extreme weather event—The Bird Rescue Center is their emergency rest stop. Each autumn, our hospital sees an uptick in migrating species needing care and nourishment before they can continue their long journeys.
Your support makes that possible. Your generosity provides mealworms and other nourishment, bandages, surgical glue and more. Your support also provides the restful time needed to heal and regain strength to continue migration. Indeed, you become a lifeline to these travelers in between worlds.
When you see a swirl of wings this season, take a moment to look up … And know that your compassion helps them find safe passage home.
How to Make Your Yard Bird-Friendly in Fall
As the days shorten and nights grow crisp, our local and migratory birds face new challenges: dwindling plants and insects, fewer daylight hours to feed, and unpredictable storms. The good news? You can turn your yard or balcony into a small sanctuary!
Provide fresh water.
Even a simple dish or shallow basin refreshed daily and cleaned weekly can be a lifesaver. Consider adding a small rock or stick for perching.
Offer natural food sources.
Leave seed heads untrimmed on your native plants like coneflowers and grasses—they’re a natural bird buffet.
Skip the pesticides and leaf blowers.
Fallen leaves shelter insects and create foraging opportunities for birds. Beneath that golden carpet of autumn, birds find the protein they need to migrate or survive the winter.
Keep it safe.
Move feeders and birdbaths away from windows to reduce collisions. If you can, apply decals or screens to your most reflective glass.
(photo credit: Window Alert)
Light the night wisely.
Turn off exterior lights when possible, or switch to motion sensors. If you must light the outdoors, use warm amber bulbs. Artificial light can disorient birds flying overhead.
By creating even a small pocket of safety and sustenance, you become part of a vast network of kindness stretching across the Pacific Flyway. Each season The Bird Rescue Center sees firsthand how fragile these travelers are, how daunting their journey can be, and how powerful our collective care is.
Your support sustains not just the birds in our hospital, but those still in the skies above Sonoma County. Thank you for helping them find food, rest, and refuge wherever their wings may take them next.
Halloween Decorations Are Very Scary Indeed
—Especially For Our Avian Friends
And not for the reasons you might think!
As Halloween approaches, many yards fill up with cobwebs, ghosts, and glowing pumpkins. It's all in good fun, but for our wild neighbors, those festive decorations can turn truly frightening.
Each fall, The Bird Rescue Center receives calls about birds trapped in decorative webbing, fishing line, and string lights. What looks whimsical to us can be an invisible hazard to wildlife navigating after dark.
This Halloween, you can help make Sonoma County a little safer for our avian neighbors:
Skip the fake spider webs and anything made of loose string or fibers that can tangle wings or feet.
Avoid loops, lines, or hanging decorations that can become snares.
Keep candy and food-like décor indoors — even wrappers can pose a risk if wildlife ingest them.
Check decorations daily, especially after wind or rain.
A few small choices can make a big difference. By decorating thoughtfully, you help keep your yard safe for owls, songbirds, and all the wild creatures we share this season with.
Photo Credit: Dave Stapp, Marin Humane Society
There Are Just A Few Tickets Left!
You can help birds stay safe and soaring freely this Halloween by being thoughtful about decorating your yards and providing food, water and shelter for those migrating south.
From all of us at BRC, thank you for turning fright into flight!
Donate online using the button above, or mail your check to:
The Bird Rescue Center
PO Box 475
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Comments