Wildlife

Wild Migratory Bird Light Pollution

Light pollution disrupts migration timing and navigation in migratory birds, causing collisions, disorientation, and altered behaviour with population-level consequences.

Key Facts

An estimated one billion birds die annually from building collisions, partly linked to light attraction
Nocturnal migrants are attracted to artificial light and can circle illuminated structures until exhausted
Light pollution is advancing spring migration by 1.5 days per decade in North America
Coastal lighthouses have historically been major sources of migrant bird mortality
Lights Out programmes during peak migration periods in cities reduce bird strikes substantially

Welfare Considerations

Light pollution causes disorientation, exhaustion, and collision deaths in billions of migratory birds. Simple changes to human lighting behaviour can save millions of lives annually.

What You Can Do

Participate in Lights Out programmes during spring and autumn migration seasons
Turn off or close blinds on interior lights during migration peak periods at night
Support planning regulations requiring bird-safe lighting in new developments
Report building collision events to citizen science monitoring programmes