Georgia Audubon
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Let's make Georgia bird-friendly!

Spring Dates: March 15 through May 31
Fall Dates: August 15  through November 15
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Take the pledge!

Click below to join the growing list of homeowners and commercial properties who pledge to turn the lights out for migrating birds.

Lights Out Georgia 
participants pledge to take bird-friendly steps during spring and fall migration between the hours of 12:00 midnight and sunrise to create safe passage for migrating birds.
Sign the homeowners pledge
Enroll A Commercial Building

​The problem

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Georgia Audubon has been studying collision-related bird deaths through our Project Safe Flight Program since 2015. Project Safe Flight volunteers patrol selected routes during peak bird migration periods collecting birds that have died or been injured after colliding with buildings.  Click here to read more about Project Safe Flight. ​

Most migrating birds pass through Georgia during the nighttime hours. Generally, the evening hours are calmer and safer for migrants. Predators are less active at night, skies are often less turbulent, temperatures are cooler, and landing at daybreak allows for optimal foraging conditions. For generations, populations of warbler, thrush, and vireo have taken advantage of the darkened environment on their epic twice-yearly journey. However, urbanization has wreaked havoc on these birds as the ever-present glow of artificial light turns the normally safe nighttime sky into a perilous pathway.  

Bright lights confuse and disorient resident and migrating birds as they pass over brightly lit cities, like metro A
tlanta. These birds may collide with structures or become trapped in beams of light where they circle until they are exhausted. Once on the ground, brightly lit building lobbies, reflective glass showing trees and shrubs, transparent facades, or even indoor plants near windows can lead to more collisions. This can all be made worse by weather patterns that force birds lower and in a more direct line with our buildings.  

The solution

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An Ovenbird that survived a window collision. Photo by Adam Betuel.
Lights Out Georgia is a voluntary effort designed to make Georgia safer for our resident and migratory birds. Modeled after similar successful programs in New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Toronto, Lights Out Georgia participants pledge to take bird-friendly steps during spring and fall migration between the hours of 12:00 midnight and sunrise to create safe passage for migrating birds.
Building managers and homeowners pledge to reduce lighting by: 

  • Turning off unnecessary lighting (especially at the top of buildings) between the hours of 12:00 AM (midnight) and 6:00 AM.
  • Put lights on timers
  • Utilize motion sensors on lights
  • Make sure external lighting is down shielded
  • Close shades or blinds
  • Dim or extinguish lobby or atrium lighting
  • Use strobe lighting when appropriate
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Golden-winged Warber by Dan VIckers
Birds are not the only beneficiaries of Lights Out Georgia. People can benefit, too!  The goal is not to completely darken cities, which could create safety concerns, but to reduce decorative and unnecessary night time lighting to create safe passage for birds. A building or home has a lot to gain by reducing their lighting. One building in Chicago was able to demonstrate an 80 percent decrease in collision-related mortality by simply turning off its lights!

Beyond saving the lives of birds, Lights Out participants: 
  1. Save money
  2. Reduce energy usage and be more eco-friendly
  3. Follow sustainability guidelines (for corporate structures)
  4. Enjoy the stars!

Take the pledge!

Sign the homeowners pledge
Enroll A Commercial Building

additional REsources

Lights Out Georgia Fact Sheet 

Lights Out Georgia Toolkit 
 

Our Partners

Georgia Audubon is excited to partner with the following organizations 

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Georgia Audubon thanks our Lights Out Atlanta corporate participants:

Center for Human and Civil Rights
City of Atlanta
Cox Enterprises (5 buildings)
Highwoods Properties, Inc. (4 buildings)
Midtown International School
Parmenter (4 buildings)
Southface


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4055 Roswell Road, NE
Atlanta, GA  30342
​678-973-2437
Georgia Audubon is a member-supported, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.
About Us | Donate | Join | Login to my account | ​Shop
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Ask Chippy Your Bird Related Questions
  • Home
    • Login
  • Ways to Give
    • Join/Renew
    • Donate
    • Leadership Giving
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Shop in our Online Store
    • Volunteer
    • Support Georgia Audubon When You Shop
    • Scholarship Fund
  • Conservation
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife Sanctuary Program >
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Requirements
      • Sanctuary Resources
    • Habitat Restoration >
      • Habitat Restoration Fund
      • Piedmont Park Exhibitat
    • Project Safe Flight
    • Lights Out Georgia
    • Species of Concern >
      • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
      • Chimney Swift
      • Wood Thrush
      • Brown-headed Nuthatch
    • Advocacy >
      • Okefenokee Swamp
    • Plants for Birds >
      • Plant Sales
    • Coffee and Chocolate
  • Education
    • For Youth >
      • Atlanta Urban Ecologists
      • Atlanta Urban Ecologists II
      • Georgia Audubon Bird Stories
      • Homeschool
      • Scouts
      • Youth Birding Competition
      • Camp Talon
    • For Educators >
      • School Programs
      • Learning About Birds Curriculum
      • Professional Development
      • Connecting Students with STEM Through Birds
      • Resources
    • Adult Education >
      • Workshops
      • Master Birder Program
    • Community Outreach
    • Hummingbird Ambassador Programs
    • Scholarships
    • Digital Resources
  • Go Birding
    • Field Trips
    • Injured/Orphaned Birds
    • Birding Sites in Georgia
    • Travel >
      • St. Marks NWR & Wakulla Springs 2021
      • Oaxaca Mexico 2021
      • Dauphin Island 2021
      • Maine 2021
      • North Dakota 2021
      • Utah 2021
      • Winter in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
      • Jamaica 2021
      • Northern Minnesota 2022
    • Georgia Birding Network
    • Community Science
    • Birding Resources
    • Why Birds?
  • News & Events
    • Press Room >
      • In the News
    • Upcoming Events >
      • Three Billion Art Exhibit
    • Georgia Bird Fest >
      • Patron
    • News Feed
    • Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month >
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Tour
      • Doug Tallamy
    • Monthly Meetings >
      • Early Birds Book Club
    • Newsletters
  • About Us
    • Mission and Programs
    • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
    • Georgia Audubon FAQ
    • Annual Report
    • Board and Staff
    • Best Management Practices
    • Job Opportunities
    • Our History
    • Lending Library
    • Contact Us