Nighttime migratory birds need our help...
Every year, billions of birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall, the majority of them flying at night, navigating with the night sky. However, as they pass over big cities on their way, they can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow, often causing them to collide with buildings or windows.
From hummingbirds and warblers to sparrows and geese, millions of birds migrate across North America every year, covering hundreds to thousands of miles. Most of these birds, some that weigh as little as half an ounce, make this remarkable and perilous journey at night, visualizing the magnetic pull of the earth and using the moon and stars to set their course. By reducing skyglow over our cities, we can help them make it to their destinations safely.
My two sources...
Every year, billions of birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall, the majority of them flying at night, navigating with the night sky. However, as they pass over big cities on their way, they can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow, often causing them to collide with buildings or windows.
From hummingbirds and warblers to sparrows and geese, millions of birds migrate across North America every year, covering hundreds to thousands of miles. Most of these birds, some that weigh as little as half an ounce, make this remarkable and perilous journey at night, visualizing the magnetic pull of the earth and using the moon and stars to set their course. By reducing skyglow over our cities, we can help them make it to their destinations safely.
My two sources...
3 comments:
This is kind of a tough one for me. I love my backyard birds, feeding some in the Summer, some in the Winter and providing a clean water source. The only thing I can do to eliminate light at night is to turn off porch and garage lights, but I simply can't do that for security reasons. Eliminating nighttime lighting will need to be done by another source and I'm not sure who or what that could be. Perplexing, yes?
Milleson - Yes, it's a tough call. One woman I know, who lives in an apartment, closes her curtains at night. Every little bit helps.
Thank you for posting this. It has been a big concern of mine for some time Sicko. Cities, I believe, can also reduce the frequency of the light. Our porchlights come on automatically, like security lights, and they can be adjusted to be dimmed.
It's also important to inform neighbors that each outdoor cats kill an average of 13 birds per year.
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