Spring migration is upon us and millions of birds will be flying through Philadelphia along the Atlantic Flyway on their journey north to their breeding grounds.
Bird Safe Philly is once again asking community members to participate in Lights Out Philly to minimize unnecessary lights by turning off, blocking or dimming artificial lights from midnight to 6 a.m. during peak spring migration period, April 1–May 31.
Lights Out Philly is an initiative of Bird Safe Philly, a coalition led by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and two local Audubon Society chapters, Valley Forge and Wyncote. The collaborative joined forces following a mass collision event in October 2020 where more than 1,000 migrating birds collided with buildings within a small area in downtown Philadelphia.
Up to one billion birds die each year across the U.S. when they collide with buildings and windows, attracted by their bright artificial lights at night. Locally, tens of millions of birds pass through Philadelphia each year during spring and fall while migrating between their breeding and wintering grounds. Many never complete their epic journey because they are killed when they fly into buildings and windows, confused by the bright artificial lights and glass.
The Bird Safe Philly partnership aims to create safe spaces for birds by developing awareness of the issue of bird collisions and implementing solutions, working in partnership with the Philadelphia community.
Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s Urban Conservation Program Manager Keith Russell shares seven simple and inexpensive ways you can make any home or building more bird-friendly.
Learn more about Lights Out Philly and sign up to participate on the Bird Safe Philly website.