Fall migration is well underway, running from approximately August 15 – November 15. Migration brings exciting birds to Virginia, but it also means we need to be more conscious about artificial lights around the places we live and work. 80% of birds migrate during the night using the moon and stars to navigate. Artificial lights from homes, stadiums, large buildings, car dealerships and more can disrupt the birds’ migrations. Approximately one billion birds die annually from building collisions in the U.S., many due to nocturnal migration disorientation.
Our friends at Dark Skies Piedmont encourage Virginians to help birds by:
- Taking the Lights Out Pledge to protect migrating birds.
- Reduce exterior lighting from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Point floodlights down, or shield them to reduce horizontal glare.
- Install motion sensor lighting where possible.
- Use warmer lighting (more orange-yellow instead of white-blue).
- Dropping the blinds to keep light from spilling out the windows from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Dark Skies Piedmont’s Lights Out Pledge campaign will include Charlottesville-Albemarle area residents in global efforts to protect migrating birds. Lights Out campaigns for the birds are organized locally by Dark Skies Piedmont, at the state level by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Birds Safe Hampton Roads, and other groups across Virginia, nationally by Audubon and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and internationally by DarkSky International. Go to darkskiespiedmont.wordpress.
