Texas is on one of the major migration routes for American birds. Nearly 2 billion migratory birds, 1 in 3 in the U.S., will pass through this state during their spring and fall migrations. That often doesn’t go well, but a simple light switch can save many bird lives.
Since most birds migrate at night by the light of the stars and moon, the lights of a distant city can attract them. The shiny skylines of major Texas cities such as Houston or Fort Worth can disorient the birds, sometimes resulting in death.
Light pollution
When the birds become extremely disoriented, it is more common for them to crash head-on into buildings whose glass reflects the city’s light. But the Audubon Society, an American association committed to nature conservation, has found a solution: lights out!
Lights Out! – turn on the light switch
To protect more than 400 different bird species, the Houston chapter of the Audubon Society and their partners have been conducting “Lights Out!” for two years. campaign. They have managed to persuade dozens of building managers to turn off non-essential outdoor lighting. Anna Vallery, Conservation Specialist at Houston Audubon
“We are seeing communities across the state joining this effort.”
And that one press of the light button produces remarkable results. Researchers studying the effects of these Lights Out campaigns found that reducing the reflections of outdoor lighting on tall buildings could prevent 60 percent of all deaths from bird strikes. That’s a lot of bird life.
The spring migration lasts about 70 days, from early March to mid-June, with a slightly longer period during the autumn migration, from mid-August to late November.
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Sources:
Padel kills thousands of Spanish birds every year
©AnimalsToday.nl Kasper Wienk
