Lights Out Georgia

Atlanta skyline at night. Photo by John Behr.

Let's make Georgia's Skies Safer for Migrating Birds

YOU can help make Georgia safer for migrating birds by reducing or eliminating outdoor lighting between the hours of 12:00 PM (midnight) and sunrise during peak bird migration.

Spring Migration: March 15 through May 31

Fall Migration: August 15 through November 15

Go a step further:
Sign the Lights Out Pledge

Click below to join the growing list of homeowners and commercial properties who take the
Lights Out Georgia Pledge
agreeing to reduce or eliminate outdoor lighting from 12:00 AM to sunrise during spring and fall migration.

Sign the homeowners pledge

Enroll A Commercial Building

The problem

Birds Georgia 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 Atlanta. 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

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.

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: