Artificial Light at Night
Turning off artificial nighttime lighting helps protect night-migrating birds, keeping them on their natural migration paths. Photo: John Deguzman
The threat of artificial light
- Millions of birds pass through New York City each spring and fall migration, relying on natural light cues for navigation, communication, and reproduction.
- Artificial light pollution disturbs these cues, reorienting birds' pathways and drawing them into our dangerous urban environment.
- As birds stop to rest and refuel, they encounter glass windows and facades that reflect sky and habitat. An estimated quarter of a million birds die from window collisions in NYC each year.
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NYC Bird Alliance staff join the 2023 Lights Out rally outside City Hall.
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Kathy Nizzari, Christian Cooper, Councilmember Erik Bottcher, and NYC Bird Alliance Executive Director Jessica Wilson at a Lights Out Rally. Photo: Denise Kelly
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The Lights Out Coalition and NYC Bird Alliance fight for Lights Out legislation to protect migratory birds. Photo: Denise Kelly
NYC Bird Alliance staff join the 2023 Lights Out rally outside City Hall.
Kathy Nizzari, Christian Cooper, Councilmember Erik Bottcher, and NYC Bird Alliance Executive Director Jessica Wilson at a Lights Out Rally. Photo: Denise Kelly
The Lights Out Coalition and NYC Bird Alliance fight for Lights Out legislation to protect migratory birds. Photo: Denise Kelly
TAKE ACTION: SUPPORT DARK SKIES PROTECTION ACT
The Dark Skies Protection Act establish limits on the use of nighttime outdoor lighting and better control light pollution. It was introduced in 2025 but stalled before becoming law, and we need lawmakers to reintroduce it.
