Lights Out, Washington!
Most Birds Migrate at Night, and Artificial Light Puts Them at Risk
The majority of North American migratory birds travel at night, navigating by stars and natural light cues. Unfortunately, artificial light from cities and buildings can disorient migrating birds, pulling them off course and into urban areas where they are vulnerable to exhaustion, predation, and deadly collisions.
Collisions with buildings are one of the leading human-caused threats to birds, killing hundreds of millions of birds each year in the United States. Bright, unnecessary nighttime lighting dramatically increases this risk — especially during peak migration seasons in spring and fall.
Lights Out, Washington!
You can help millions of birds journey safely through Washington at night each year by following the steps below to reduce building collisions during migration season.
- Use light only if it is necessary
- Direct light so it falls only where it is needed
- Light should be no brighter than necessary
- Use light only during times when needed
- Use warmer-colored lights (under 3,000 Kelvins)
Resources:
- Take the Pledge!
- Lights Out Flyer
- Templates and Toolkits
- Lights Out, Washington! Logos
- Volunteer to monitor bird collisions through dBird
- Sample Form Letter to Elected Official
- Sample Form Letter to Building Manager
- Additional resources are available on Reducing Collisions with Glass
Lights Out, Washington! is part of a nationwide Audubon campaign to dim the lights for birds at night.
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