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‘Lights Out’ from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. as millions of birds return home

The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society urges Washington residents to dim non-essential outdoor lighting from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. between Wednesday, April 29 and Friday May 1 to protect migrating birds returning home for summer.
Millions of birds traverse Washington during peak spring migration, with 3.8 million predicted for April 29, 5 million for April 30, and 4.1 million expected on May 1, according to the Purdue AeroEco Lab.
Purdue AeroEco Lab tracks movement using color-graded maps where red areas indicate stopover density above the 90th percentile, marking critical zones for avian activity during peak spring migration.
Bright artificial lights and skyglow disorient birds passing over cities, frequently causing collisions with buildings and windows, especially throughout the Puget Sound region where migration density peaks.
The Lights Out initiative reduces collision risks by lowering skyglow while conserving energy and improving nocturnal habitat quality for resting birds near critical stopover hotspots.

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