Fall migration in Massachusetts is to birds as Sept. 1 is to students in Boston: Some are moving in, some are moving out, and others are just passing through.
Right immediately, hundreds of thousands of birds are flying overhead as part of that movement. Here are three things to keep in mind if you want to head out to see or hear these commuters.
Pick the right time
While you can experience birds all day, the best times for success are either early in the morning or later at night. For early risers, there are plenty of birds just waking up and looking for breakfast, said John Herbert, Director of Bird Conservation at Mass Audubon.
“Especially if they’re migrating, they need to start building up their fat and muscles so they can keep flying to where their end goal is for the winter,” Herbert said.
For would-be bird watchers who like to sleep in, there’s a good chance of hearing breeds that navigate by the stars as part of their migration. Nights are also cooler, and there are fewer natural predators for the birds to contend with.
There’s an app for that
Herbert said bird watching can be intimidating for newbies; it can be hard to know what you’re hearing or seeing. Luckily there are lots of apps, like eBird and Merlin, that can help you make that identification. You can also check out the wealth of information at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s vast online library.
To Herbert, however, the best way to learn is to just do it.
“It just takes practice, and just going out and being out in nature, looking at birds, hearing them, that builds that practice,” he said.
It’s about more than just seeing or hearing birds
Herbert has been obsessed with birds for years. This month, he’s tagging migratory shorebirds on Cape Cod to learn more about their flights so he and others can better support that journey.
All migrating birds play a role in our ecosystem. For example, Herbert said, there are birds who fly from north to south in the fall but because of the long journey, they have to stop in Massachusetts or other mid-points to rest. Having good forests and marshlands help keep that cycle strong.
“I love just thinking about how magical it is that these little creatures can undertake these great journeys each year,” he said. “It reminds me that we have to protect these natural resources, our wildlife, our habitat, because we want this to continue every year. That’s our goal: we want our birds to keep coming back to Massachusetts.”
This segment aired on September 18, 2025. The audio for this segment is not available.
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