Doylestown Borough Turning "Lights Out" For Migratory Birds

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA —Doylestown Borough is asking residents to voluntarily help protect migratory birds this spring by taking part in “Lights Out Doylestown.”

The borough’s Environmental Advisory Council is asking residents and business owners to turn off or reduce outdoor lighting from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. between April 1 and May 31.

The local request is tied to the spring migration period, when many birds travel at night over the Philadelphia area. According Lights Out Philadelphia, birds use natural light to navigate, and artificial lighting can disorient them. That can lead to exhaustion and, in some cases, fatal collisions with windows and buildings.

According to Lights Out Philadelphia, tens of million birds pass through Philadelphia each year during the spring and fall migration seasons. The group said many of those birds are killed after flying into buildings, confused by artificial lights at night or by reflective or transparent glass surfaces. It also says artificial lights at night can attract birds migrating after dark to buildings, where they can collide with other parts of the structures associated with lights.

According to the EAC, by reducing exterior lighting during the migration window, community members can help lower the risk for birds passing through the region. The effort is aimed at making nighttime travel safer as the birds travel through Bucks County and the Philadelphia area.