Many birds rely on constellations to navigate during their nighttime migration. Artificial light, especially during bad weather, can disorient them in a phenomenon researchers call fatal light attraction, causing birds to fly into windows, walls, floodlights, and even the ground.

“NYC Bird Alliance research shows artificial light contributes to hundreds of thousands of bird deaths in New York City every year. Turning off lights saves birds, saves money, and makes New York a more livable environment for people. We’re proud to see New York State leading by example and protecting birds across its incredible environments,” NYC Bird Alliance Director of Conservation and Science, Dr. Dustin Patridge said.

When To Turn Off Your Lights

The National Audubon Society says a single building can disorient and kill hundreds of birds in one night. But, by turning your lights off between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., you can help drastically reduce that number, officials say.

“The fix is remarkably straightforward. By turning off lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., we can dramatically reduce the number of birds lost to collisions each year,” National Audubon Society in New York Vice President Michael Burger said. “Every spring, an incredible phenomenon unfolds above us — millions of birds navigating invisible flyways through New York’s night skies. Yet for many, that journey ends tragically due to something all-too visible: light pollution. A single building can disorient and kill hundreds of birds in one night.”