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
Sign Up To Receive Lights Out Alerts via email

​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.  

View Current Collision Forecasts

The solution

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Downtown Atlanta, by John Behr.
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: 

  • Turn off your outdoor lights when you’re not using them, especially between the hours of 12:00 AM (midnight) and 6:00 AM.
  • Make sure outside lights aim down and are well-shielded so that they don’t create light trespass or glare.
  • Install motion sensors on your outside lights so that they’re only on when needed. 
  • When converting outdoor lights to LED, choose warm bulbs (3,000 Kelvins or under). 
  • During migration seasons, draw your blinds or curtains to reduce light spill.  
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Golden-crowned Kinglet, by Adam Betuel.
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!

Join the LIghts out georgia effort

Sign the homeowners pledge
Enroll A Commercial Building
Sign Up To Receive Lights Out Alerts via email

additional REsources

Lights Out Georgia Fact Sheet 

Lights Out Georgia Toolkit 

Why Do Birds Collide  with Buildings - Daytime
 

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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825 Warner St. SW
Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30310​678-973-2437
Georgia Audubon is a member-supported, 501c3 nonprofit 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
    • Wish List
    • Leadership Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Shop in our Online Store
    • Support Georgia Audubon When You Shop
  • Conservation
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife Sanctuary Program >
      • Map of Georgia Audubon Sanctuaries
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Requirements
      • Sanctuary Resources
    • Habitat Stewardship Program
    • Habitat Restoration >
      • Piedmont Park Exhibitat
    • Building Collisions >
      • Project Safe Flight
      • Lights Out Georgia
      • Collision Resources
    • Species of Concern >
      • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
      • Chimney Swift
      • Wood Thrush
      • Brown-headed Nuthatch
    • Plants for Birds >
      • Plant Sales
    • Coffee and Chocolate
  • Education
    • For Youth >
      • Georgia Urban Ecologists
      • Homeschool
      • Scouts
      • Youth Birding Competition
      • Camp Talon
      • Conservation Career Resources
    • For Educators >
      • School Programs
      • Learning About Birds Curriculum
      • Professional Development
      • Connecting Students with STEM Through Birds
      • Resources
    • Master Birder Program
    • Scholarships
  • Engagement
    • Field Trips
    • Injured/Orphaned Birds
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Code of Conduct
    • Advocacy
    • Community Outreach
    • Beloved Naturalist
    • Travel >
      • Colombia 2023
      • SE Arizona 2023
      • Michigan 2023
      • Maine 2023
      • Utah 2023
      • Madagascar 2023
      • Southern California 2024
      • Big Bend & Hill Country TX 2024
    • Community Science
    • Birding Resources >
      • Birding Sites in Georgia
      • Accessibility
      • Georgia Birding Network
      • Why Birds?
  • News & Events
    • Press Room >
      • In the News
    • Upcoming Events >
      • Program Participant Safety
    • Georgia Bird Fest
    • News Feed
    • Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month
    • Georgia Audubon at Manuel's Tavern
    • Early Birds Book Club
    • Newsletters
  • About Us
    • Mission and Programs
    • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
    • Annual Report
    • Board and Staff
    • Best Management Practices
    • Job Opportunities
    • Our History
    • Contact Us