Bird Friendly Calgary asks citizens to turn lights out during spring migration

A Canada Goose is seen in a stock photo. (Pexels/Brett Sayles)

A Calgary conservation group is reminding residents to turn out their lights at night to help birds stay safe during their spring migration.

Bird Friendly Calgary says of the billions of birds that migrate across Canada and the U.S. every year, most do so at night when it’s cooler and there are fewer predators out hunting.

“One of the greatest risks to these birds is light pollution, which is known to draw birds off course and into the city where, confused and exhausted, they are vulnerable to collisions with buildings and other urban threats like cats and toxins,” explains the organization in a Monday news release.

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It’s with this in mind that Bird Friendly Calgary is asking for people to turn off (or dim) their decorative exterior architectural and yard lights, and turn off interior lighting when not in use (and/or close blinds and curtains) each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The request is part of the organization’s Lights Out for Birds campaign, which runs from March 22 to May 31.

“In North America, an estimated 365 to 988 million birds die in collisions with buildings annually, including a number of species of high conservation concern,” said Bird Friendly Calgary.

“Calgary’s enormous growth and the resulting light pollution have made our city a significant threat to migrating birds, from robins and finches to sandpipers.”

For more information, you can visit the Bird Friendly Calgary website.