Texas and Philly Join Movement to Dim Lights at Night â Making it Safer for Migrating Birds
Mar 16, 2021
Since 1990, cities around the U.S. have gradually been cutting or dimming outdoor lights in order to help one of their most vulnerable populationsâmigratory birds.
Lights Out programs, organized by conservation and civil society groups like the Audubon Society, have sprung up in 20 different states, plus D.C. and Toronto, and involve enlisting the help of landlords, their tenants, and business owners to make cities safe for migratory birds in the spring and fall.
Birds use celestial clues to navigate thousands of miles along migration routes. Some of these routes involve passing through some of the largest and brightest cities in North America. The light pollution blots out the stars and other navigation points the birds use, causing them to collide with buildings.