As spring and autumn approach, one of nature’s most remarkable journeys is taking place overhead.

Millions of birds are moving south for the winter, following ancient migration routes across North America. For birds traveling through Virginia and the Appalachian region, the Blue Ridge Mountains provide an important natural corridor—and the Blue Ridge Parkway is a particularly scenic place to experience the migration.

Over 250 bird species inhabit or migrate along the 469-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, including more than 80 spring and fall migratory species and over 200 resident or elevation-migrating species.

Think of the mountains as an interstate highway for birds.

The long, continuous ridgelines, surrounding forests and valleys provide habitat, food and places to rest as birds make their way south. While birds don’t literally follow the pavement, many species use the Appalachian mountain corridor as part of their migration route.

More than 300 million birds could be on the move across North America during the fall migration season.

Harvey’s Knob Overlook (Milepost 95.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke, Virginia) is a premier autumn hawk-watch site famous for tracking migrating raptors and other seasonal birds.

How You Can Help

There are several simple things you can do to make the journey safer for migrating birds:

Lights Out
Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights at night. Artificial light can disorient migrating birds, particularly during overnight migration, and can draw them toward buildings and other hazards.

Keep Hummingbird Feeders Out
Don’t put those hummingbird feeders away just yet. Late-migrating hummingbirds may still be passing through the region. Keep feeders clean and filled with fresh nectar to provide an important source of energy.

Head to the Parkway
Want to see migration for yourself? Head to the Blue Ridge Parkway, find a scenic overlook and bring your binoculars. The mountain ridges can provide excellent opportunities to watch birds moving through the region.

Look Up
Migration isn’t always obvious. Birds can travel high above the ground, sometimes passing overhead without us ever realizing it.

So the next time you’re enjoying the changing leaves, mountain views and cooler temperatures of fall, take a moment to look skyward.

There may be thousands of travelers making their way south—using the Blue Ridge as their natural highway.