It’s that time of the year. Pumpkin spice lattes are in full swing, a few trees have already started their colorful transformation, and bird migration is underway.
Millions of birds fly over Oregon at night every spring and fall. The bright artificial lights of cities — which create a phenomenon called sky glow — can cause traveling birds to become disoriented and crash into buildings or windows.
Enter: Lights Out Oregon.
What is Lights Out Oregon?
Portland-based avian conservation organization Bird Alliance of Oregon supports the nationwide effort spearheaded by the National Audubon Society. Lights Out is meant to help reduce migratory bird deaths by increasing awareness and encouraging building owners to turn off non-essential lights during peak migration months.
How can I participate?
Portlanders can help the birds in a variety of ways:
- Turn off non-essential outdoor lights.
- Aim outdoor lights down toward the ground.
- Install motion sensors on outside lights to limit their use.
- Close blinds to reduce light emission to the outdoors.
- Use warm outdoor lights (less than 3,000 Kelvin).
- Switch to lighting products that are DarkSky Approved.
You can take the pledge to go Lights Out or contact BirdSafe campaign coordinator Mary Coolidge to learn more. The Energy Trust of Oregon also offers cash incentives to increase the energy efficiency of business lighting.
When is fall migration?
Peak fall migration started Thursday, Sept. 19, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 19. How many birds are we talkin’? Well, 6.2 million birds were expected to fly over Oregon on the night of Friday, Sept. 20, including 14,000+ over the Portland area.
