A federal wildlife refuge in Newburyport saw what officials dubbed a “birdnado” on Monday, as thousands of tree swallows took flight to migrate south for the winter, officials for the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a post.
Video shared by federal conservation authorities shows the birds, known for their blue and green feathers, filling the skies over the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, where officials said they likely were taking a rest stop during their southward journey, which typically ends in Central and South America.
Video shows ‘birdnado’ as thousands of swallows migrate south over Newburyport
Thousands of tree swallows form a “birdnado” in Newburyport as they headed south for winter.
“When enough swallows show up at once, migration starts looking a lot like Twister … the original… not the remake,” officials wrote in their post.
Commentators were quick to point out that the scenes evoked another famous movie, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror film “The Birds,” in which a coastal California town comes under attack by scores of vicious avians.
“That looks amazingly scary,” one person wrote on social media.
“Birds in flight are amazing,” another marveled.
The 4,700-acre reserve has become a hub for migratory species in the Northeast, hosting more than 300 species of birds throughout the year, according to the reserve’s website.
The migratory period for tree swallows peaks in August and September, according to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Earlier in the summer, tree swallows, among the most common nesting birds and the largest swallow species in the state, gather en masse along the Massachusetts coast, they said.
Hundreds can regularly be spotted dotting shorelines and telephone wires on the North Shore before their migration, according to Audubon officials.
During peak migratory periods, such as the next few weeks, the US Fish and Wildlife Service asks that residents turn off all non-essential home lights, especially exterior lighting, from dusk to dawn, to reduce possible distractions for birds that could lead to fatal accidents.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this fall’s migratory period will last until Nov. 30. Their BirdCast alert system can be used to see when birds may be flying over an area near you.
Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.