Over 470 million birds migrate across North America every spring and fall. For many of them, the stars are their GPS; however, due to the increasing presence of artificial light, many of these navigation systems are being confused. Migrating birds are now flying into threatening environments, and the dangers of these areas are often overlooked by society.
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Check PriceOver 1 billion birds are reported to die from running into manmade lights every year. This figure is three times as high as the total number of bird deaths from oil spills, wind turbines, and pesticides. It's not just the massive glass towers of big cities that kill birds. Your house could be killing hundreds of birds every year with porch lighting, garden lights, or even decorative lights.
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You can turn your home from a migration risk into a safe home by making seven simple changes which will cost almost nothing and take under an hour to make.
Switch Off Unnecessary Lights During Peak Migration Periods
The spring migration season (March through June) and the fall migration season (August through September) have critical hours from 11 PM to 6 AM. These hours cover 80% of songbird active flight hours. To take action, set timers on your outdoor lights or turn them off when you go to bed.
Concerned about security? Motion-activated lights are excellent for safety as they don’t cause light pollution and confuse migrating birds.
Add warm color LED light bulbs
Birds become disoriented from blue and white light. Consider replacing bright white or blue LED bulbs with warm color (2700K or lower) LED alternatives in outdoor light fixtures. LED lights that are amber or red tinted are less easily seen by birds and still provide enough light for humans to see.
Studies from the American Bird Conservancy show that this straightforward change can minimize the attraction of birds by 60%.
Outdoor Light Sources Should Be Shielded
Put in shields or covers that disperse light emissions downward rather than let it scatter up into the sky. Fully shielded light fixtures prevent upwards light spill that causes the light domes birds see as dawn.
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Light shields are sold at hardware stores. For an inexpensive price, a light shield can be added to a fixture in minutes. The ideal purpose is lighting the ground rather than the sky.
Make Sure To Close Your Curtains And Blinds After It Gets Dark
A significant hazard to birds is interior lighting coming through large windows. The bright rectangles of illuminated windows shine from long distances and act as lighthouses to birds flying.
Take special care to adjust or cover upper story window treatments. Also, modify all windows in rooms that have floor to ceiling windows. For windows that face migration corridors, draw curtains, close blinds, or use blackout shades.
Add Window Films or Decals
Migrating birds that rest and forage can be injured by reflective glass surfaces, even if they are turned off and the lights are off. To increase window visibility to birds, use bird-safe window films and/or decals based on the 2×4 rule. This means you have decals no more than 2 inches apart horizontally, and 4 inches apart vertically.
The UV-reflective decals are invisible to human vision, but they are visible to birds since birds can see ultraviolet light.
Plant Native Shade Trees Next to the Window
Strategic planting of trees and shrubs 10-15 feet away from large windows will break up reflections of the windows and help mitigate the risk of bird strikes. Additionally, the plantings will be landing obstacles to help birds observe the glass barriers.
Native plants can also offer food and cover for birds while they travel, and convert your yard into a genuine migration rest stop!
Create Safe Outdoor Spaces for Resting Birds
Providing shallow water sources and native berry-producing shrubs are great to help migrant birds. Simple structures that allow birds to rest and refuel, like small brush piles next to shallow water sources that are also surrounded by shrubs, will significantly improve their habitat. Also, consider adding a bird bath, as well as more native plants.
An excellent choice is a native viburnum, however, you could also choose an elderberry or chokecherry which also provide food for birds in spring and fall when they need to put on extra calories.
These changes help because they center the main issue with birds and lights: the lighting making birds lose their natural navigation instinct. You are helping the birds regain their starry GPS by reducing light pollution during important migration periods.
The effect is noticeable and quantifiable. Cities that have 'lights out' programs show an 80% decline in bird collisions during times of heavy migration. Your personal efforts, when combined with those of your neighbors, help establish secure passageways that annually protect millions of lives.
Look at the sky tonight. Each dot moving across the stars is a bird crossing the continent. With these seven changes to your home, you can be a safe waypoint on their journey instead of an obstacle.
