In a bid to protect the millions of winged travelers that pass through North Carolina, the City of Raleigh has dimmed its skyline. This initiative, known as "Lights Out," seeks to reduce the risks for nocturnally migrating birds by minimizing the distracting and often dangerous allure of bright city lights. From Sept. 10 through Nov. 30, the city will turn off all non-essential lighting at its facilities between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., the City of Raleigh's official website reports.
These measures are a response to the serious decline in migratory bird populations, with building collisions being a significant factor. The lights, particularly those that are upward-facing, can disorient the birds leading to fatal encounters with urban structures. As part of this effort to make nights safer for the migrants, Raleigh's cost-saving switch also dovetails with the sustainability goals of its Community Climate Action Plan.
Wake Audubon is a collaborator in the Lights Out initiative, planning extra "Lights Out Wake" activities to bolster this movement. Their involvement isn't just a one-off; both Audubon North Carolina and Wake Audubon push for public participation twice a year, syncing with the spring and fall migration seasons. Raleigh residents are urged to do their part by extinguishing unnecessary nighttime lighting and drawing curtains or closing blinds, according to the recommendations put forth by the City of Raleigh's announcement.
Those interested in monitoring or learning more about avian migration patterns and the research behind the Lights Out initiative can head to BirdCast's website. BirdCast even provides a real-time service, offering a three-day bird migration forecast specifically for Raleigh, assisting residents and officials alike in gauging when to take proactive darkness measures for these vulnerable creatures.
Raleigh's green spaces, managed by Raleigh Parks, function as vital components of the city's ecological network, demonstrating a commitment to environmental resilience. Far more information is available about these and other efforts in Raleigh's broader environmental strategy at the Raleigh Parks Plan's "Environmental Resilience" section on their website.
