Every spring and fall, millions of birds migrate through the midwest, traveling between their breeding and wintering grounds. Many of these birds pass over southwest Michigan, making Kalamazoo county a vital part of their journey.
Most songbirds migrate at night, relying on the stars, the Earth’s magnetic field, and other natural cues to navigate. Traveling after dark allows them to avoid daytime predators and benefit from cooler temperatures.
Artificial light at night disrupts this migration. Bright lights from homes, businesses, and buildings disorient birds, causing them to fly off course, become trapped in illuminated areas, and frequently collide with windows and other structures. In North America, building collisions kill hundreds of millions of birds each year, making them the second-leading human-caused source of bird mortality.
Lights Out Kalamazoo County is an initiative of the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo and partners that encourages residents, businesses, schools, and community organizations to reduce unnecessary lighting during spring and fall migration.
What Can You Do?
Reducing light pollution is simple, and even small changes can make a significant difference. During migration seasons, you can help by:
- Turning off unnecessary indoor and outdoor lights between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from September 1 through October 31
- Using timers or motion sensors instead of leaving lights on throughout the night
- Closing blinds or curtains to reduce light escaping through windows
- Switching to warm-colored light bulbs
- Directing outdoor lighting downward with fully shielded fixtures
- Reducing decorative and architectural lighting during migration
Whether you’re a homeowner, business owner, educator, or community member, your participation helps create safer skies for migrating birds. By signing the pledge to turn off your lights, you can help make the Kalamazoo area safer for our birds. Those who pledge will be entered into a raffle for prizes (stay tuned for more updates!)
More Information
https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-09/looking-lights-out
https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/