Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

douglas9

(4,358 posts)
Wed Oct 6, 2021, 06:28 AM Oct 2021

National Audubon Society calls for 'Lights Out' after 'mass mortality' event of migratory birds

Houston can help save countless birds from a sudden and violent death – all with the flip of a switch. Migratory birds heading south for the winter are becoming disoriented and dying in mass mortality events due to bright city lights, according to BirdCast.com—a website dedicated to tracking and providing public information on bird migration.

Year after year, migratory patterns are disrupted by light pollution, akin to driving toward someone with their high beams on, only hundreds of feet in the air. The fix is easy, advocates with the National Audubon Society say: If we all turned off non-essential lights at night, birds will migrate more easily.

Even Laura Bush is onboard. The former First Lady wrote an op-ed back in March, at the height of the spring migration season for bird migration. The other, as she pointed out, is ongoing now in the fall.


https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/bird-migration-light-pollution-houston-audubon-16508691.php

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
National Audubon Society calls for 'Lights Out' after 'mass mortality' event of migratory birds (Original Post) douglas9 Oct 2021 OP
people seem to have no concept of light pollution Blues Heron Oct 2021 #1
The nightlights don't just affect birds but your food garden, also. The lights screw with the Hestia Oct 2021 #5
Website is birdcast.info (nt) NQAS Oct 2021 #2
Bird migration forecast maps douglas9 Oct 2021 #3
Fascinating. Thanks for the link and the OP. JudyM Oct 2021 #4

Blues Heron

(5,898 posts)
1. people seem to have no concept of light pollution
Wed Oct 6, 2021, 07:11 AM
Oct 2021

every day more and more xtra-brite LEDs go in - unshielded, glaring, prison-like lighting. But its OK theyre LEDs! They do streetscapes now where they replace one old classic cobra-style streetlight with FOUR retro-style globe lights that spew four times the light in all directions. The light poles are twice as close together, each with two horrible tacky vintage globes on them, then they put a klieg-light level bulb in each one and call the whole thing an upgrade. Can you say glare?

Then all the new homeowners have to have security lights that are also cameras - so they have to shine horizontally right in your eye as they click on with their motion sensor.

 

Hestia

(3,818 posts)
5. The nightlights don't just affect birds but your food garden, also. The lights screw with the
Wed Oct 6, 2021, 12:10 PM
Oct 2021

growing of crops and gets their cycle out of whack. I think I saw the info on a segment of PBS' Victory Garden about it (back when the show was about gardening and not pushing products for newest and bestest cultivars, etc.)

douglas9

(4,358 posts)
3. Bird migration forecast maps
Wed Oct 6, 2021, 08:44 AM
Oct 2021

Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts.

https://birdcast.info

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Birders»National Audubon Society ...