ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – The city of Atlantic Beach is asking residents and businesses to dim the night sky to help protect migrating birds this spring.
The city has declared March 15 through May 15 as “Lights Out Atlantic Beach Nights,” encouraging people to switch off non-essential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. so birds can better navigate during migration.
“Lights that really disorientate the birds are the lights that actually directly go up in the sky, so they could be landscape lights,” said Elizabeth Filippelli from the Duval Audubon Society, who is also the vice president of Lights Out Northeast Florida. “Anything that is a white color is also very disorientating for birds.”
The city of Jacksonville participated in the effort last year, and other local municipalities have also expressed interest in getting involved.
Atlantic Beach residents are already familiar with artificial lights disorienting sea turtles, as city leaders say the research and similar concepts apply to birds, which can become confused by bright lighting at night.
“Birds do a lot of things for us that we don’t know,” Filippelli said.
Steps to take
- Turn off decorative or non-essential outdoor lighting
- Use motion sensors or timers where light is needed
- Close blinds or curtains to reduce indoor light shining outside
The Duval Audubon Society has an additional list of steps to take as a homeowner or business owner or manager.
Songbirds are a major focus of the initiative because many migrate at night, using natural light from the moon and stars to help guide them. But artificial lights and reflective glass can draw birds off course, increasing the risk of collisions.
The Audubon Society said about 1 billion birds die each year in the U.S. from glass and artificial light.
“In the last 50 years, research has shown that we’re at about 3 billion birds [fewer] than there were 50 years ago,” said Mike Taylor, curator of Herps, Birds and Others at the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens. “And it’s accelerating.”
The city said the Lights Out effort will also return during the fall migration, from Sept. 15 through Nov. 15.