Philadelphia Turns Lights Out for Migrating Birds | The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com – The Weather Channel

The Philadelphia skyline is seen at dusk in this photo from November 2020.

It's lights out in Philadelphia for several weeks this year as skyscrapers go dark at night in an effort to keep wayward migrating birds safe.

Owners and tenants of both commercial and residential buildings are being asked to turn off unnecessary indoor and outdoor lighting, or pull curtains or shades, from midnight to 6 a.m. through May 31, and again from Aug. 15 to Nov. 15, according to Bird Safe Philly.

The initiative is part of a national program that also takes place in more than 32 other cities, including New York, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and Atlanta. This is the first year that Philadelphia has participated.

Bird Safe Philly, a coalition of several organizations including the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University and the Audubon Society, was created after thousands of migratory birds died after they collided with buildings in Philadelphia's Center City district on Oct. 2.

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Most migrating birds travel at night, using the stars and other clues to navigate. Artificial light can cause them to become disoriented, especially during cloudy or rainy weather, according to Bird Safe Philly.

Experts say that's exactly what happened in October.

Conditions were perfect for a heavy migratory flight and imperfect given that there was a low ceiling of clouds and rain, Jason Weckstein, associate curator of ornithology at Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences, told the Associated Press. That in combination with Phillys bright city lights was a disaster for many fall migrant birds winging their way south.

It's not known how many birds die in building collisions during annual migrations, but a 2014 study led by researchers from the Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center estimated that between 365 million and 988 million birds overall are victims of building collisions each year.

New York City Audubon estimates that between 90,000 and 230,000 birds are killed every year by flying into buildings in the city.

Besides artificial light being a danger, birds also often fly straight into windows and other glass.

The problem isn't new, but initiatives like the lights out programs and research by scientists have brought more attention to it in recent years.

We have specimens in the academys ornithology collection from a kill that happened when lights were first installed on Philadelphias City Hall tower in 1896, Weckstein said.

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