TURN YOUR LIGHTS OUT FOR BIRDS!

 

Did you know that almost 1 billion birds die each year from window collisions?

 

Most birds migrate at night. They navigate using a number of cues including the earth’s magnetic pull, their senses of smell and memory, stars, and landscape features like mountain ranges and bodies of water. 

 

Artificial lights can attract and disorient birds resulting in an inability to navigate to their destination and expend already limited energy resources. The exhaustion can leave them vulnerable to threats including predators, collisions with buildings, and inability to find food.

 

To help prevent this issue, there are simple solutions that everyone can use to help birds during migration seasons, which are typically April-May and August-September in Colorado.

  • Turn off unnecessary lights at night, from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am. 

  • Down-shield exterior lighting so light does not go up towards the sky or out sideways.

  • Use lights with warmer tones and lower lumens. 

  • Install automatic motion sensors and controls wherever possible.

 

Inspire your neighbors to turn off their lights for birds. Pick up a yard sign for $10 at Wild Birds Unlimited in Colorado Springs. These signs were designed by your AAS Board and 100% of proceeds collected by WBU goes right back to AAS.

To learn more about this issue and ways that you can help protect birds today, visit birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/.

What’s tonight’s Migration Forecast? Visit https://aeroecolab.com/colorado to see how many birds will be migrating over Colorado tonight!