7/15/2023 0 Comments Download turn off lights for birds![]() The Building Owners and Managers Association of Philadelphia (BOMA), which represents over 475 members who own or manage commercial properties or provide services to buildings, said the response has been “extremely robust*.” Property managers and tenants are asked to voluntarily switch off lights between midnight and 6am, especially in a building’s upper levels, lobbies and atriums. The Lights Out Philly program runs from April 1 through May 31 and from August 15 to November 15. Mr Russell said the Philadelphia initiative has the added benefit of lowering energy consumption, potentially slowing climate change. “But many of these species also face the additional threat of colliding with buildings.” “The ovenbird and the black-throated blue warbler are among the hundreds of bird species that are now at an increased risk of extinction in North America because of climate change,” said Keith Russell, with Audubon mid-Atlantic. Media_camera View of downtown Philadelphia from the tower of City Hall, itself a site of bird deaths when it first installed lights in 1896. ![]() Scientists estimate between 365 million and one billion birds are killed by collisions with buildings or other outdoor structures in the US every year and those crashes are taking a toll on some species.Ĭommon yellowthroats, white-throated sparrows, grey catbirds and ovenbirds are the most common victims in Philadelphia, experts said, and those species are also threatened by climate change and other predators. Windows can be a problem, according to Mr Weckstein, because birds might see a reflection of trees or the sky. “That in combination with Philly’s bright city lights was a disaster for many fall migrant birds winging their way south.”īirds navigate during migration using celestial* cues and when they cannot see stars on a cloudy night they get confused by bright city lights, according to experts. ![]() ![]() “Conditions were perfect for a heavy migratory flight and imperfect given that there was a low ceiling of clouds and rain,” Mr Weckstein said. Weather conditions can confuse migrating birds. Media_camera Lightning illuminates storm clouds over the Philadelphia skyline, Tuesday Aug. ![]()
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