Millions of birds are getting ready to fly over and stop by Kansas this fall as they complete their long-distance fall migration journeys. 800 million! The annual flight paths of millions of birds journeying along the major flyways has a big impact, even if many people might take no notice of the feathered travelers overhead. In our area, we’ll have a lot of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers, flycatchers, as well as good numbers of shorebirds, such as franklin’s gulls, sandhill cranes, pelicans and even rarer birds like piping plovers.
Mike Rader with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says the full list of birds that migrate through the state is quite extensive, consisting of both common visitors and more rarely seen species. While some migrants, like red-winged blackbirds, hummingbirds and sandhill cranes, number in the millions, other travelers are considered rarer as they are classified as threatened or endangered. So keep your eyes open and enjoy. The peak season is mid September through October.
