'Lights Out Doylestown' To Darken The Skies For Migratory Birds

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Doylestown Borough Environmental Advisory Council is
asking the community to turn off or turn down their outside lights to help protect migratory birds traveling overhead.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to join “Lights Out Doylestown” by turning off or reducing their exterior and interior lights that illuminate the outdoors from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

"From August through November, millions of birds migrate from Canada and the northern U.S. to warmer locations in the south. The risks that birds face on their exhausting journey include not only predators and storms but also artificial light," said Borough Councilwoman Wendy Margolis.

"Many birds travel in the middle of the night and rely on natural light landmarks to guide them on their path south. Artificial lights can confuse the birds, causing them to veer off course and become exhausted before reaching their destination or leading to fatal strikes on windows," said Margolis.

Contribute to Lights Out

• Turn off exterior decorative lighting
• Extinguish pot and flood-lights
• Substitute strobe lighting wherever possible
• Reduce atrium lighting wherever possible
• Turn off interior lighting, especially on higher stories
• Substitute task and area lighting for workers staying late or pull window coverings
• Down-shield exterior lighting to eliminate horizontal glare and all light directed upward
• Install automatic motion sensors and controls wherever possible
• When converting to new lighting assess the quality and quantity of light needed, avoiding over-lighting with newer, brighter technology

For more information on the Lights Out program and how to protect birds during the migratory season, visit https://www.birdsafephilly.org/lights-out.