It's Time to Turn Lights Out for Migrating Birds This Fall

Sandhill Cranes. Photo by Noah Reiter/Audubon Photography Awards

Every fall, millions of birds migrate across Georgia under the cover of darkness. But our night skies are getting brighter. Artificial light from cities and buildings can confuse migrating birds, causing them to become disoriented and collide with glass structures. Light pollution can also disrupt birds’ internal clocks and interfere with their long-distance migrations.

To help reduce these risks, Birds Georgia sends Lights Out Alerts during peak migration nights each fall. These alerts (usually eight to ten nights per season) remind people to reduce or turn off unnecessary lighting and help make Georgia’s night skies safer for migrating birds.

Fall Migration: August 15 to November 15

Fall migration begins in mid-August and continues through November 15, with millions of birds passing through Georgia along their journeys south.

We encourage everyone to reduce or eliminate unnecessary outdoor lighting throughout the fall migration season whenever possible.

If turning off lights for the entire migration period isn’t feasible, please take action on peak migration nights announced through our Lights Out email and social media alerts. Follow Birds Georgia on Facebook and Instagram to receive Lights Out Alerts.

Simple Steps to Help Migrating Birds

On peak migration nights, small changes can make a big difference:

• Turn off outdoor lights when possible, especially between midnight and 6:00 AM.
• Use fully shielded fixtures that direct light downward.
• Install dimmers, timers, or motion sensors so lights are only on when needed.
• Choose warm LED bulbs (3,000 Kelvin or lower).
• Close blinds or curtains at night during migration to reduce indoor light escaping through windows.

You can learn more about reducing bird-building collisions and sign the Lights Out pledge on our Lights Out Georgia page.

Birds Georgia’s Lights Out Alert program continues to grow. This spring, our alerts reached a record audience on social media, including one Facebook post with more than 290,000 views, while subscriptions increased 200% compared with Spring 2025.

We’re also taking action beyond lights. This fall, Birds Georgia and Wild Nest Bird Rehab will distribute 175 free Feather Friendly DIY Kits to homeowners who bring collision victims to Wild Nest for treatment and commit to making their windows safer for birds. Each kit can treat approximately 16 square feet of glass.

This work is especially important because an estimated 42% of bird-building collisions occur at residential buildings. By helping homeowners address collision hazards, we can prevent bird deaths before they happen.

Project Safe Flight

Since 2015, Birds Georgia’s Project Safe Flight volunteers have documented more than 6,125 bird-building collision victims representing 142 species across Georgia. This data helps us understand where collisions occur and guide conservation efforts to make buildings safer for birds.

You can help, too. If you find a dead or injured bird that may have collided with a building, report it through dBird at dbird.org. Your report helps Birds Georgia track collision patterns and identify opportunities for action.

Every light switched off, window treated, and collision reported brings us closer to a future where birds can migrate safely through Georgia.