Each spring, nearly 2 billion birds migrate through Texas in one of the planet’s great wildlife spectacles. Unfortunately, since migratory birds often travel at night, artificial lighting can cause them to be disoriented and collide with buildings and homes. These avoidable collisions are responsible for killing up to 1 billion birds annually. The good news is that everyone can help.
Austin American-Statesman 04/05/2021
Spring Migration 2021: How You Can Help Migrating Birds
- Please turn out all non-essential lights from 11 pm – 6 am every night through June 15, especially during the peak migration period of April 19 – May 7.
- Report dead or injured bird sightings
- Participate in Austin’s boots-on-the ground efforts for Cornell’s Bird Building Collision Studies. Contact [email protected] to learn more–volunteer spots available April-May 2021.
Did you know that most birds migrate at night? They often use the moon, stars, and sun to navigate. Light pollution can interfere with these signals and cause a serious problem for birds: they might be thrown off course or become so disoriented that they circle until they fall to exhaustion or collide with buildings. You can help with just a flick of a switch – plus you’ll save money on energy costs!
- Turn off lights at night on unoccupied floors and in unused spaces.
- Close curtains and blinds.
- Turn off exterior floodlights during bird migration season.
- Opt for shielded lighting that directs lights downward.
- Try using task lighting at your workstation instead of overhead lights if you’re working late.
The above text and both images are from https://travisaudubon.org/lights-out-texas.
For more information go to https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/lights-out-texas/.