Lights Out Texas Campaign Encourages Turning Out Lights for Spring Bird Migration

AUSTIN— The May issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, available on newsstands now, highlights the Lights Out Texas campaign, which aims to create a safer spring migration for birds through cities across the state. Lights both attract and disorient the birds.

Based on two decades of research from Chicago, the country’s deadliest city for migrating birds (followed closely by Houston and Dallas), darkening the windows produced 11 times fewer bird collisions during spring migration and six times fewer collisions during fall migration.

These results are significant because one of every three birds migrating through the United States in spring and one of every four in fall — nearly 2 billion total — pass through Texas.

The program focuses on peak times, asking businesses to turn off non-essential lights while maintaining security. Houston Audubon began monitoring the results of Lights Out Texas in Houston last year.

The magazine article also highlights what Texans can do in their own homes to help nocturnal migrating birds because nearly half of all window strikes occur at home windows.

For more information about the Lights Out Texas Initiative, visit the BirdCast website and read more about the story in the magazine.