We estimate that halving lighted window area decreases collision counts by 11× in spring and 6× in fall.

The greatest mortality occurred when the building was brightly lit during large nocturnal migration events and when winds concentrated birds along the Chicago lakeshore. We find that the magnitude of nocturnal bird migration, building light output, and wind conditions are the most important predictors of fatal collisions. Using two decades of collision surveys and concurrent weather and migration measures, we model numbers of collisions occurring at a large urban building in Chicago. Reducing this source of mortality requires knowledge of important behavioral, meteorological, and anthropogenic factors, yet we lack an understanding of the interacting roles of migration, artificial lighting, and weather conditions in causing fatal bird collisions. Northeast Florida is part of the Atlantic Flyway, a predetermined path that birds migrate along the East Coast.Millions of nocturnally migrating birds die each year from collisions with built structures, especially brightly illuminated buildings and communication towers. “The artificial light from the big cities tends to confuse them, they have trouble navigating through the cities, they collide with buildings, they fly around in circles, they get exhausted and just drop on the ground,' Antman said. Migrating at night comes with challenge - one of the biggest being artificial lights from cities.

“They migrate in the dark to avoid predators and they use the light from the moon and stars to navigate,' explained Carolyn Antman, with the Duval Audubon Society.

Johns County Audubon society and the Jacksonville Zoo are launching a new program called “Lights Out Northeast Florida.” To help, the Duval Audubon society, the St. – Did you know that leaving your outside lights on at night during the fall and spring season can impact a bird’s migration journey?īillions of birds migrate south for the winter and north for the summer ever year, and 70-80% of those birds migrate at night.

Download lights out for bird migration