May and September are peak migratory months for songbirds.
It often takes a camping trip or a nighttime drive along a quiet stretch of highway to remind us just what a striking presence the moon and stars are. In metropolitan areas, the night sky just doesn’t look the same, especially because of all of the artificial lighting within the built environment.
But for winged creatures making their way through the sky, those lights in the universe provide more than mere scope for the imagination. It’s an important piece of how they navigate their path. And when artificial lights and skyglow from below interfere, that can create real problems, especially during May and September, the peak migratory months for songbirds.
Thursday: Lights Out Heartland Aims To Keep Migrating Songbirds Flying Safe Over St Louis stlpublicradio.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stlpublicradio.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Christine Hauser, The New York Times
Published: 11 Apr 2021 08:32 AM BdST
Updated: 11 Apr 2021 08:32 AM BdST A handout photo shows a cardinal that died after flying into a building in Philadelphia in October, 2020. Buildings, landmarks and monuments are turning off lights to prevent fatal impacts as birds set off on spring migration. The New York Times A handout photo shows birds that died after flying into buildings in Philadelphia in October, 2020. Buildings, landmarks and monuments are turning off lights to prevent fatal impacts as birds set off on spring migration. The New York Times
Dozens of US cities are being transformed this spring, enveloped in darkness as the lights that usually brighten up their skylines are turned off at night to prevent birds from fatal impacts during their annual migrations.