Just like humans, birds and other wildlife can suffer respiratory distress when they breathe polluted air.
On a day like today, when our local air quality is compromised by smoke from wildfires in Canada, you can help scientists understand how it affects wildlife health and behavior.
Birds in particular are at risk of harm due to their complex respiratory systems.
Olivia Sanderfoot is an ornithologist and global change ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is her area of study and she relies heavily on the public to make observations.
"I've had folks tell me that birds are feeding like crazy at their feeders, and I've also had folks say that they just don't see any birds at their feeders," she said. "And all of those observations together are telling us a story about how birds are responding in real time to fire and smoke disturbance."
Part of Sanderfoot's research has explored how toxic wildfire haze silences birdsong and disrupts avian ecosystems. She says scientists are still learning how much of a threat smoke is to bird populations.
"But I can tell you right now that on a day like today, the birds probably aren't feeling so great, and so all the things that we can do to help birds year-round will make sure that bird populations are more resilient and more capable of dealing with threats like this when they do emerge."
She says one way to help birds and other wildlife is to provide access to fresh water if you can venture outdoors safely. She also recommends turning off outdoor lights during migration seasons and using decals on windows to prevent bird-glass collisions.
