Lights Out Georgia

Let's make Georgia bird-friendly!

Take the pledge!

The problem

Georgia Audubon has been studying collision-related bird deaths through its 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 Atlanta. These birds may collide with structures or become trapped in beams of light where they circle until they either die of exhaustion or land in an unsafe location. Once on the ground, brightly lit building lobbies, reflective glass showing trees and shrubs, 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

An Ovenbird that survived a window collision. Photo by Adam Betuel.

Lights Out Georgia is a voluntary effort designed to make Atlanta 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

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 the city, 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: