North Dakota: Migration forecast & seasonal timing
When migration peaks statewide and what to do tonight to reduce light risks.
Peak spring ≈ early–mid May
Peak fall ≈ early Sep–early Oct
Lights Out guidance
If your city is within its peak migration window tonight, dim or turn off non-essential outdoor lighting from 11 pm–6 am and close shades to reduce skyglow.
Why “Lights Out” helps
- Reduces collision risk by lowering skyglow and attracting fewer birds into lit urban cores.
- Conserves energy and saves money by dimming or switching off non-essential lighting during peak migration.
- Improves habitat quality by keeping nocturnal environments darker for resting birds near stopover hotspots.
While the maps above display nightly migration “alerts,” the maps here highlight state-level stopover hotspots for both spring and fall migration.
- Red areas: Above the 90th percentile of predicted stopover density—places where migrants have historically concentrated to rest and refuel before continuing their journeys.
- Yellow areas: Between the 50th and 90th percentiles, reflecting moderate stopover use.
- Gray areas: Below the 50th percentile of predicted stopover density.
These red-shaded regions are particularly important: they are sites where large numbers of birds depart around sunset, captured in high detail by the national weather radar network.
Seasonal timing by city
Bars rescale to the selected view. Spring = Mar 1–Jun 15; Fall = Aug 1–Nov 15. The vertical line marks today (if within view).
