Learn more about lights out programs for bird migration on the Bring Birds Back podcast. Know that each light counts and each home matters. And you're also, as a building owner or manager, or as someone in their own home, you're saving energy by turning off lights. Julia Wang: All we're asking is that you flip the switch and turn off some lights during migration season, and it becomes a win-win situation for both parties.

Julia is the project leader for BirdCast, which provides forecasts for bird migration so that people know when they should keep their lights off. Julia Wang: All of this light pollution coming from major centers of buildings, homes, residences, pulls birds, generally, into an area where they're more likely to deal with collisions and other urban threats. It's also typically cooler at night, so it's easier to off-put the heat that's generated when you're flying really, really far distances.īut migrating at night also means that birds can get disoriented by bright lights and collide with a building. Julia Wang: And especially for woodland species that might not be as agile, it's easier to fly at night. That’s Julia Wang from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Julia Wang: At night the air is less turbulent, so it's a bit easier to fly. It might sound strange to travel in the dark, but the birds have their reasons. Adapted from the Bring Birds Back podcast

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