AUSTIN Spring is the peak time for bird migration through Texas, and the bright lights of cities and towns can confuse birds as they fly to their northern breeding grounds. Texans are encouraged to help our winged friends on their journey by turning “Lights Out” at night across the state from March 1- June 15, with peak migration occurring April 22 through May 12.
“With Texas hosting three out of the top 10 cities that pose the greatest light pollution risk to migrating birds, ‘Lights Out Texas’ is a meaningful way for people to support safe passage for the birds that migrate through our night skies,” Tania Homayoun, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department nongame ornithologist, said in a news release. “Taking action can be as easy as flipping a switch, closing curtains or blinds, or committing to dark-skies-friendly lighting in the places we live, work and play. It’s fantastic to see so many homeowners, businesses and volunteers getting involved with this conservation effort.”
In 2017, after discovering the bodies of more than 400 birds that had slammed into a Galveston skyscraper, the American National Insurance Company and Houston Audubon launched the first “Lights Out” initiative in Texas. A nationwide program, supported by BirdCast migration forecast, began around the same time. City lights attract and disorient birds, causing collisions and deaths, and both groups sought to reduce bird mortalities associated with light pollution, the release said.
Two decades of research from Chicago, the country’s deadliest city for migrating birds (followed closely by Houston and Dallas), show that darkening the windows resulted in 11 times fewer bird collisions during spring migration and six times fewer collisions during fall migration. These results are significant to Texas because one of every three birds migrating through the United States in the spring or fall — nearly 2 billion in total — pass through the state.
How can Texans help?
Turn off all nonessential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night during the program.
Avoid using landscape lighting to illuminate trees or gardens where birds may be resting.
For essential lights (security and safety lighting), use the following dark skies-friendly lighting practices:
- Aim lights downward.
- Use lighting shields to direct light downward and avoid light shining into the sky or trees.
- Use motion detectors and sensors so lights come on only when you need them.
- Close blinds at night to reduce the amount of light from windows.
- Find examples of dark skies-friendly lighting from the International Dark Sky Association and additional guidance and language from the McDonald Observatory’s dark skies resources and recommended lighting practices.
If you own or manage a building:
- Consider adjusting custodial schedules to end by 11 p.m.
- Ask custodial staff to ensure that lights are off after they finish their work.
Address problem windows experiencing collisions. American Bird Conservancy offers information about affordable, effective bird-friendly window solutions that reduce collisions.
Reaching out to local officials can help raise awareness of the risk that artificial light at night poses to birds during this crucial time. To help encourage your community to take action, sample letters to elected officials and building managers can be found on the Audubon website.
Texans can also help researchers better understand the dynamics of bird migration in Texas by reporting collision mortalities using the iNaturalist Bird-Window Collisions project or contacting Audubon Texas to join ongoing volunteer efforts to track collisions in downtown areas via “Lights Out Texas” monitoring on iNaturalist.
Additional resources for providing safe passage for migrating birds can be found on the Audubon Texas “Lights Out Texas” website.
