Each fall literally hundreds of millions of migrating birds pass through Georgia en route to their winter homes. The vast majority of these birds are songbirds that fly over the Peach State between August 15 and November 15. Many of them such as warblers, tanagers, vireos, and thrushes migrate at night.  During peak migration periods, as many as 30 million birds may be in the air over Georgia during a single night. Far too many of them collide with buildings, transmission towers, powerlines, houses, and other objects.  Estimates reveal that each year anywhere from 350 million to one billion birds die or are injured strike  manmade objects during migration.

       For years, conservation groups like the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, and Birds Georgia (formerly known as Atlanta Audubon) have been urging the owners of large buildings to shut off their lights during migration.  These efforts have undoubtedly saved the lives of millions of birds. Recently conservation groups have also been urging homeowners to join the effort to save these Neotropical migrants.

      The reason why turning off the lights can save the lives of migrants is the birds use a number of mechanisms to stay on tract; one is employing celestial objects such as stars as navigational aids.  Consequently, bright human-generated lights can confuse birds to the point where they are actually hit the well-lighted structures or endlessly fly around them until the fall to the ground utterly exhausted.

       One way homeowners can help reduce this mortality is to turn off the lights illuminating their homes and other buildings between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM during the time the birds are migrating through our state. These simple steps include closing window blinds and shades to prevent indoor light from being seen from outside our homes.  If possible, security lights can be turned off. In addition, outside lights can be shielded to direct light toward the ground.

       Although the number of birds that strike our homes pales in comparison to those that strike tall buildings, smokestacks, and other massive structures, every little bit helps, especially when a large number of homeowners decrease the light around their homes.