Lights Out

One of the ways that our community can be more bird-friendly is by taking part in the national Lights Out effort. Lights Out Niagara is working to make this happen! WNY YBC Mentor Alex Sidare estimates 700,000 to over 2.5 million birds died from residential window collisions in WNY annually. When commercial buildings are included in estimates, this would at least double.

What can you do to help?

1. Turn off all non-essential (don’t compromise safety!) exterior lighting between 10:00 pm and dawn from April 15-May 31 and August 15-November 15 - visit BirdCast to see peak times! 

2. Encourage your schools and businesses to adopt this practice (here is a sample letter adapted from National Audubon’s resources - also see https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/)

3. Send letters to your local officials or straight to us – letters, art, and messages from young people can make a substantial difference in policy change!