Help Save Migratory Birds in Central New York
Help give migratory birds safe passage through Central New York. Make a commitment TODAY to turn off your unnecessary indoor and outdoor lights every night during peak bird migration from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. When you switch off extra lights, you reduce your energy bill, save money, lower your carbon footprint, help protect migrating birds and their habitats, and improve your views of the night sky.
Fall Migration: August 15 - November 15
Spring Migration: April 1 - May 31.
Why Lights Out?
Millions of birds pass through New York every spring and fall on their way to and from their summer nesting grounds up north. Because our state is located along the Atlantic Flyway, many birds use our green spaces and waterways to rest and refuel during their trip. Some also stay for the summer.
Most migrating birds pass through Central New York at nighttime. Many species of migratory songbirds evolved to migrate at nighttime, when the skies are safer. The air temperatures are cooler, the air flows are less turbulent, and avian predators are less active. Landing at daybreak also allows for optimal foraging, as insects become active. Further, sciences shows that the birds navigate by cues in the night sky, including the light of the moon and stars. But light pollution has wreaked havoc on our night sky.
Studies have shown that overly lit structures and landscapes can tempt migrating birds into fatal headlong building collisions, tragically cutting their journeys short. The result is catastrophic: 1 to 2 billion birds are killed by building collisions each year in the United States.
Light pollution map of the United States (NASA Earth Observatory)
The Solution
Turning off unnecessary lights each night between 11pm and 6am helps to reduce risks for migratory birds.
Lights Out Central New York is a growing community of residents, property owners, businesses, nonprofits, and officials in central New York working together to protect migratory birds by reducing artificial light during peak periods of bird migration. We educate and organize people to turn off or dim their nonessential lights during the weeks of April 1–May 31 and August 15–November 15.
Participation is completely voluntary, self-monitored, and self-assessed. For instance, if a resident, business owner, or school determines that they can safely turn off or dim their exterior lights and install motion detection lights as necessary to reduce their lighting load for Lights out Central New York, they can join us in good faith.
It all adds up to make a big difference for migrating birds looking for safe passage through Central New York.
Turning out lights also SAVES energy and money on electric bills. The Environmental Protection Agency identifies energy as the single largest operating expense for commercial buildings; yet the U.S. Department of Energy found that 99% of the light we emit has no clear purpose.
Our goal is to reduce unnecessary, misdirected, over-illuminated nighttime lighting during bird migration to create safe passage for birds — not to completely darken cities and towns, which could create safety concerns.
People benefit when we turn off extra lights too!
Better health
Save money
Reduce energy use
Be more eco-friendly
Follow sustainability guidelines
Enjoy the STARS!
American Woodcock killed after colliding with glass at the Life Science Complex at Syracuse University. (Photo by mbsalinas09)
Report a Dead or Injured Bird
If you find a dead or injured bird near a building in Central New York, you can make an important contribution to bird research by adding a report to dBird.org, or the SUNY ESF collision project on iNaturalist, or by e-mailing us.
Data collected by community members help scientists to understand the problem of bird-building collisions, what causes them, and ways to prevent them.
