Bird Friendly Calgary urges residents to turn lights out at night during migration season
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'Birds are migrating through North America starting in about mid-August through the end of October, and many of them actually use the night sky to navigate to their winter home,' said founding member Sara Jordan-McLachlan.
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As part of their Lights Out for Birds campaign, Bird Friendly Calgary is asking Calgarians to turn off their lights each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from August 15 to October 31.
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According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, an estimated 40 to 60 million birds die annually in Canada from window strikes with over one billion across North America. That number accounts only for birds that are killed and don't account for the total number of strikes.
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'Birds have evolved over millions of years without artificial light at night, and so they have learned certain things about light sources that help them in their annual migrations,' said fellow Bird Friendly Calgary founder Roland Dechesne, who also serves on the Light Pollution Abatement Committee with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
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Dechesne said that introducing artificial light into the environment can disorient birds' natural flight patterns.
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'For example, they might use starlight or moonlight reflecting off of water to use as a gauge to follow waterways at night,' he said.
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In their natural habitats, some species navigate by aiming for gaps of light between tree branches and trunks, Dechesne said. When they see illuminated windows in urban areas, they mistake them for safe pathways and fly directly into them.
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Warmer-toned lighting is better for both human and animal health, but residents should aim to only illuminate areas that are needed, like steps or other hazards. Using motion-controlled lights when possible and setting holiday lights to turn off automatically is encouraged.
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She noted that this season, the team is finding that the number has increased significantly.
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'The amount of birds that we're seeing right now striking glass is actually quite alarming compared to past years,' said Kathleen Johnson, executive director of the Calgary Urban Species Response Team. 'Our team was able to get out Aug. 1, and immediately was finding large numbers of migratory birds striking glass in downtown Calgary.'
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Dechesne emphasized that collisions aren't just a downtown issue – they happen just as frequently in suburban areas and affect both migratory and local species.
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Nighttime doesn't pose the only risk – during the day, reflective windows can trick birds into flying into them as they search for safe places to rest.
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Johnson recommended that people purchase window marking kits to reduce daytime strikes. These adhesive decals create a pattern that breaks up reflections, making them less attractive to birds.
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To help make yards more bird friendly, the group recommends placing bird baths away from the house, keeping cats indoors or on leashes and planting native plants to support local insect populations that birds rely on.
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Above all, the group says the simplest step is to just switch off the lights.
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