Lights Out, North Carolina!
Imagine if you will, more than 4 billion birds will make the southern migration trip from boreal forests in Canada, through the United States to locations through South America and Mexico. Incredibly, the Arctic Tern – which holds the record for the longest migration – will migrate more than 50,000 miles, every year. Our beloved Ruby Throated Hummingbird will fly nonstop (more than 500 miles) from the gulf coast of the United States to Mexico and Central America. I can’t drive 50 miles without using my car navigation system, stopping for coffee and then forgetting where I’m going. This instinctive migration behavior is accomplished twice every year as these birds seek out food sources and wintering breeding grounds.
However, this annual migration is not without dangers and challenges. Unfortunately, every year millions of these migrating birds will die – many because of the anthropogenic obstacles that have been placed in their way. Window strikes, hit by cars, killed by cats, poisoning from pesticides, habitat fragmentation and the list goes on and on. Yes, many are also attacked by natural predators (e.g., birds of prey). Further exacerbating the struggle for migrating birds are artificial lights.
Most birds migrate at night. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 80% of North America bird species migrate at night, relying on the moon and stars to navigate. Migrating birds capitalize on the stable atmosphere at night, likely free from daytime atmospheric thermals. This makes it easier for birds to maintain their course. The cooler nighttime temperatures help maintain a cooler body temperature. It is also less likely migrating birds would be attacked by predators (hawks, eagles, etc.) at night. Birds, however, must contend with another anthropogenic impediment that will significantly impact safe migration – artificial lights.
Every night, millions of homeowners turn on landscape lights to illuminate their lawns. Office buildings, large box stores, parking lots and strip malls turn on lights – and leave them on throughout the night – even when these places are not being occupied. A recent study suggested that many large stores keep their lights on for advertising – despite the significant cost savings that could result from shutting off the lights at night. These lights have significant – many times deadly effects on migrating birds.
Migrating birds rely heavily on instinctive behaviors that allow them to navigate at night, in the dark to safely reach breeding grounds. Bright artificial lights disrupt migrating bird’s flight path causing them to become disoriented. Many birds will expel energy, confused by the lights, to the point of exhaustion. And while there are some reasons these places keep lights on at night, many lights are on well…just because.
What can you do? From a macro perspective, there have been some successful recent initiatives to reduce our light pollution. Audubon has implemented the Lights Out program – to convince building owners and managers to turn off excessive lights during the months migrating birds are flying overhead. Dozens of cities around the country (Including Asheville, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Winston-Salem), have implemented ‘Lights Out’ initiatives to reduce bird casualties from excessive artificial lights. Asheville elected officials signed a proclamation that designated March-May and September – November as “Migratory Bird Awareness Month”.
There are steps you can take to help reduce bird deaths from excessive artificial lights (for both homeowners and building managers). These include:
From Midnight-6AM, March-May and September-November,
Turn off exterior decorative lighting
Extinguish pot and floodlights
Substitute strobe lighting wherever possible
Reduce atrium lighting wherever possible
Turn off interior lighting especially on higher stories
Pull down window shades at night
Down-shield exterior lighting to eliminate horizontal glare and all light directed upward
Install automatic motion sensors and controls wherever possible
When converting to new lighting assess quality and quantity of light needed, avoiding over-lighting with newer, brighter technology
The human-built environment poses many challenges for birds, including distraction by artificial light & confusing aspects of glass. Reducing artificial light at night, especially during times of migration, and making glass more visible to birds is #BirdFriendly and can make a big difference! You can get more information here at Lights Out North Carolina. Whether you’re a business or homeowner, you can protect migrating birds passing through our state by turning off all non-essential lighting on buildings at night.