Making windows safer, day and night, is at the top of the Cornell Lab's list of seven simple actions you can take to help birds.
World Migratory Bird Day 2022 is focusing on the impacts of light pollution on our shared birds. Here are a few simple actions you can take to help birds at night.
1. Reduce the amount of light outside your home or place of business.
Turn off all nonessential nighttime lights. For essential lights, use timers or motion detectors to keep usage to a minimum. And always use the minimum wattage necessary for the task at hand. This helps save energy and money too!
2. Change the color of your lights from cool to warm.
Studies suggest that green and blue light attracts more birds than red, orange, or yellow light. Use lightbulbs that emit warm light to minimize disturbance to birds. Light color is measured in Kelvins -- the lower the number, the warmer the light.
3. Direct all lighting downward.
Direct lights to illuminate the floor or ground, and use lighting shields to prevent shining into the sky.
4. Advocate for bird-friendly lighting in your community.
Consider working with your local government to create a lighting ordinance or to enforce or improve existing guidelines.
5. Become a community scientist.
Measure the brightness of your night sky, and submit your observations to the Globe at Night Program. Globe at Night is a program of National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, the preeminent US national center for ground-based, nighttime optical and infrared astronomy, which is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. All you need to participate is a computer or smartphone.
Read more:
WMBD Theme: Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!
Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds