Cornell University’s BirdCast model predicts high-intensity bird migration over our region tonight, Wednesday, May 10. Large numbers of birds will be flying! To protect migratory birds in your area, BirdCast and partners recommend turning off all non-essential lighting between 11 p.m. tonight and 6 a.m. tomorrow morning:
- turn off or dim any non-essential exterior building lighting;
- close curtains or blinds to reduce the escape of interior lighting; and
- avoid illuminating lobbies, plants or fountains that may attract birds.
Why go Lights Out?
Most birds migrate at night, employing an incredible sensory system to navigate and to orient in darkness. Light pollution attracts and disorients these migrating birds, disrupting these systems and increasing birds’ vulnerability to collisions with structures. An estimated 365 – 988 million birds die in collisions with buildings annually, including a number of species of high conservation concern. You can help dramatically reduce the hazards from light pollution for nocturnally migrating birds by turning off all non-essential lighting.
To see when birds are migrating over your area anywhere in the continental US, follow our Migration Dashboard here: dashboard.birdcast.info.
For more information about BirdCast and the Lights Out program, visit: birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out.
