For most people, birds are creatures we associate strongly with daylight hours. Their vibrant colors and tuneful songs seem perfectly suited for the warm glow of the sun. But as dusk falls each evening, an entire secondary level of avian activities emerges from the shadows related to whether birds fly at night. What really happens after dark for many of our favorite feathered flock members in regards to their nocturnal behaviors like birds fly at night may surprise you. Let’s dive deeper into the lesser known nocturnal behaviors of some common bird species and investigate if and how birds fly at night.
Swallows Lead the Way in Demonstrating Whether Birds Fly at Night During Nocturnal Migration
One of the most visible participants in nocturnal avian activity related to whether birds fly at night are swallows. During migration seasons each spring and fall, these aerial insectivores undertake lengthy flights under cover of night on a nightly basis traveling between wintering and breeding grounds providing clear evidence that birds fly at night.
Extensive tracking studies using radar have provided invaluable insights into swallow migratory patterns and how birds fly at night. It’s now well documented that these nimble fliers routinely migrate hundreds of miles each night demonstrating that yes, many birds do fly at night.
The following table compiled from radar studies outlines typical nightly distances covered by different swallow species migrating through North America:
| Swallow Species | Average Distance Flown Nightly (miles) |
| Tree Swallow | 150-250 |
| Barn Swallow | 100-200 |
| Cliff Swallow | 75-150 |
| Purple Martin | 50-100 |
As you can see, even smaller swallows like Tree and Barn regularly fly 100+ miles in a single overnight journey. With only 8-10 hours of night flying available due to their need to feed during daylight hours, these distances testify to swallows’ incredible stamina and navigational abilities. Rather than stopping each night, radar data indicates they maintain a relatively steady cruising speed throughout darkness.
Songbirds Join the Night Flight
While not as prodigious fliers as swallows, many songbird species also conduct a significant portion of their migratory travel after dusk. Warblers, sparrows, thrushes, tanagers and other passerines make up the majority of the billions of birds that migrate each spring and fall between tropical and temperate zones each year. Researchers studying migratory patterns by attaching tiny geolocating tags have learned that for most songbirds, nearly 20-30% of their migration is conducted at night.
Some potential benefits to nocturnal travel observed in studies include:
- Avoiding daytime thermal turbulence over land which can disrupt flock orientation
- Reduced risk of aerial predation without visual predators like hawks capable of easy detection
- Ability to feed on nocturnally emerging insects during daylight hours rather than stopping migration each evening
It’s abundantly clear that night flight plays an important part in helping trillions of songbirds successfully travel between breeding and wintering grounds each year across North and Central America. Their navigational precision allowing unerring return journeys is truly extraordinary.
Sandhill Cranes Join the Night Parade
Among North America’s largest flying birds are sandhill cranes, regal waders known for their intricate courtship dances and bugling calls. Each fall and winter, vast flocks of these colorful cranes congregate at traditional stopping points in states like Wisconsin and Florida during seasonal migrations. But how do they get there?
Extensive tracking using VHF radio tags on thousands of sandhill cranes over decades provides compelling evidence that like swallows and many songbirds, sandhill cranes migrate overnight in large flocks.
Studies following flocks fitted with radio tags found cranes routinely flew 200-250 miles per night on average to reach critical connecting stopover sites en route to wintering areas further south. This held true whether migrating shorter distances within their regional population or longer distance trips between breeding and wintering grounds thousands of miles apart.
Radar surveillance confirmed their flights proceeded consistently through night hours from dusk until dawn, resting and feeding as day broke, only to lift off again the following evening.
By migrating at night, cranes avail themselves of important benefits like reduced heat stress flying high above daytime thermals, avoidance of visual predators, and ability to feed on nocturnal invertebrates disturbed by their passing under moon and stars. Their exceptional navigational gifts allow juvenile cranes to memorize migration routes merely by following older birds on those first fateful flights through darkness.
The Appeal of After Dark Feeding
While migratory flights top the list of dramatic nightbird behaviors, some species simply find prime foraging opportunities emerge once the sun sets. Nighthawks, nightjars, owls and other nocturnal hunters have evolved specialized adaptations for low light vision and stealth which serve them well pursuing active invertebrate and small vertebrate prey under moon and starlight.
Nighthawks especially exhibit fascinating night habits. With short, bowed wings perfectly suited for rapid aerial maneuvers, these pugnacious flyers emerge at dusk to feast on emerging insects like moths, beetles and mosquitos illuminated by evening lights. Their shivering calls and erratic flight serve to flush insect swarms into their open mouths.
Similarly, nightjars like the common eastern whip poor will rely heavily on nocturnal insect populations, locating food by ear as much as eye using delicate hearing to pinpoint wingbeats.
These “nightjar” families provide valuable pest control services by curtailing insects that can damage crops or spread disease. Their nightly patrols are an underappreciated contribution, but one farmers in some areas actively encourage through habitat protection efforts. Continued study of these nocturnal insectivores sheds light on intricate inter species relationships historically under scientific observation due to darkness.
Not All Birds Shun the Night
Having examined some prominent night flying groups, it’s also worth noting not all birds participate in nightly flights. Domestic chickens reliably roost in trees or barns to avoid vulnerability, as do ground dwelling quail and wild turkeys lacking defense from aerial predators after dark.
Raptors like owls have superb low light vision assisting their hunting but tend not to fly nocturnally themselves outside territorial calls or dispersal of young from nests.
Blue jays and mockingbirds represent species not primarily nocturnal but known to occasionally take flight at night, likely while foraging or prospecting if ambient light conditions permit reduced risk.
But for the vast majority of perching birds and smaller songbirds, tight roosting in dense foliage provides sufficient protection without needing nighttime excursions. Their safety lies in camouflage and stillness rather than active avoidance through flight when darkness cloaks defenses.
Frequently Ask Question About Birds Fly at night.
Q: Do birds fly in the dark at night?
A: most birds make their migratory flights at night.
Q: Is it true birds don’t fly at night?
A: Nocturnal birds do of course fly at night but it’s not common for others to fly at night unless they are disturbed.
Q: Can birds sleep with lights on?
A: Light affects the circadian rhythms of birds and insects and disrupts their sleep
Q: Which bird can’t see at night?
A: Pigeons
Q: Can birds see in total darkness?
A: birds cannot see in complete darkness.
Conclusion
the secret lives of birds after dark remain a rich area for further study and appreciation of their diverse lifeways. For migratory birds especially, night flight plays an integral role in epic seasonal journeys between hemispheres. While assumptions of daylight birdwatching persist for many, gaining understanding of these covert nocturnal activities expands our admiration of avian environmental adaptations and intrinsic relationships.
The reality is that for millions of our fine feathered friends, the cover of nightfall represents not an end to daily routines, but merely a shift to alternate behaviors as essential to survival as daytime songs and flashes of iridescent plumage. Perhaps the next time darkness falls, take a moment to consider the wings still cutting silently through the night sky above on important avian errands we’ve only begun to comprehend.
