Latest news with #BirdFriendlyCalgary
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Flip a switch': Calgarians encouraged to turn out the lights for birds
Bird enthusiasts and conservationists are asking Calgarians to switch off their lights overnight this fall to protect migrating species. Bird enthusiasts and conservationists are asking Calgarians to switch off their lights overnight this fall to protect migrating species. Bird Friendly Calgary has launched its Lights Out for Birds campaign, which runs until Oct. 31. The organization is asking everyone inside the city—and nearby—to flip off their home lights each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. That'll help millions of migratory birds flying through Alberta differentiate between pass-through and obstacle, drastically cutting back the number of fatal window strikes. 'It's the easiest thing in the world to do,' Bird Friendly Calgary's Sara Jordan-McLachlin said. 'Flip a switch and it's going to make a huge difference.' More than 16 million birds die from window strikes every year in Canada. 'And this time of year is even more important than spring migration, because now we have the young of the year,' Jordan-McLachlin said. 'All of those babies that were born this year are travelling and migrating for the first time ever, and it's a lot for them to do because they don't know the routes. There's a lot of hazards that they can be drawn to on their first trip.' Jordan-McLachlin says it's already been a tough year for the 300 or so migrating species that fly through the area. Between Aug. 9 and 13 last year, Calgary trackers located 11 birds that died from window strikes. Over the same days this year, there have been 38 fatalities. The increase can at least partially be chalked up to a change in weather patterns, causing an early migration. The group's John McFaul says there are also steps Calgarians can take in the daytime to cut back on that number. 'Now is also a really critical time for people to mark their windows to prevent them from being distracting for the birds migrating,' he told CTV News. 'The markings have to be close together—two inches apart—and you can just use sticker dots on the outside of the window.' Jordan-McLachlin agrees and applauds those local buildings that have already taken steps to make their panes more noticeable. '(Birds) might see those interior lights and think it looks like a nice open forest, and they see the round windows and think that that's the trees they need to avoid. So they might fly directly into that light thinking it's a safe place,' Jordan-McLachlin said. 'We need to do what we can to help them know what is safe.'
Calgary Herald
4 days ago
- General
- Calgary Herald
Bird Friendly Calgary urges residents to turn lights out at night during migration season
As millions of migratory birds pass through Alberta this fall, Bird Friendly Calgary is urging residents to switch off lights overnight – a small step that can save countless birds from fatal strikes. Article content '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. Article content Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content '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. Article content Article content Dechesne said that introducing artificial light into the environment can disorient birds' natural flight patterns. Article content 'For example, they might use starlight or moonlight reflecting off of water to use as a gauge to follow waterways at night,' he said. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content She noted that this season, the team is finding that the number has increased significantly. Article content '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.' Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content Above all, the group says the simplest step is to just switch off the lights.
