Lights Out, Texas!
Help protect the billions of birds that fly over Texas during every Spring and Fall migration season by turning the lights out.
Lights Out, Texas! is a statewide campaign to reduce the mortality rates of migratory birds that fly over Texas twice a year during spring and fall migration. The hope is that, throughout the state, there is a commitment to turn off all non-essential light. Efforts are led by community residents, organizations, universities, and state officials.
Spring Migration Full Migration: March 1 - June 15 Peak Migration: April 22 - May 12
Fall Migration Full Migration: August 15 - November 30 Peak Migration: September 5 - October 29
How it Started
Bird collision in Galveston, Texas in 2017
2017
A major bird collision event killing 400 birds in Galveston launched partnership efforts managed by Houston Audubon to create the momentum for significant change. Around this time, Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed its BirdCast migration forecast maps using weather radars, which allowed Houston Audubon staff to make science-based determinations of when birds have the greatest risk of collision. During these periods of high risk, Houston Audubon would release Lights Out action alerts, tagging government officials and encouraging residents to share and participate in Lights Out!
With the help of BirdCast, the Houston Audubon’s Light Out program was brought to the next level. Today, it still is a major driver of statewide Lights Out, Texas! initiative.
By using the Birdcast program, organizations are able to track predicted migration levels to make science-based determinations of when birds are at the greatest risk of collision.
The easy-to understand maps appeal to the public and inspire them to participate in protecting birds with one simple action: going Lights Out.
2020
In Fall of 2020, Lights Out, Texas! took hold in Dallas when volunteers and community leaders began surveying downtown buildings for bird strikes, rescuing injured birds and collecting fatal ones. Texan by Nature collaborated with these “OG” organizations to facilitate Lights Out, Texas! to standardize efforts across all Texas organizations.
Volunteers with the Texas Conservation Alliance prior to a monitoring event
2022
Since summer of 2022, Lights Out, Texas! has been fully managed by Audubon Texas.
Why Texas?
Texas is globally important for birds. One of the primary reasons Texas plays such a pivotal role in bird migration is its strategic geographical location. Situated at the convergence of two major migratory flyways—the Central Flyway and the Mississippi Flyway—Texas offers migrating birds a unique pathway between their breeding and wintering grounds.
Approximately 1 in 3 birds migrating through the U.S. in spring, and 1 in 4 birds migrating through the U.S. in the fall, pass through Texas.
A 2019 study stated that North America has lost over 3 billion birds, or 29 percent of its abundance, since 1970. The threats to birds are significant. Sky glow from cities and outskirts can attract migratory birds, drawing them into areas where they face threats such as colliding with glass buildings. Migratory birds are highly susceptible to light pollution. In North America alone, about 1 billion migratory birds die each year from collisions with buildings.
Why Birds Matter
Birds play a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem by consuming insects, pests, rodents and carrion that can carry diseases. They aid in the growth of plant populations through seed dispersal and pollination. Birds are adaptable creatures found in various environments, including urban and rural areas. Whether seen in grocery store parking lots or expansive green spaces, birds can easily connect us with nature and the outdoors.
Birds generate around $1.8 billion in economic impact annually in Texas, but it’s about more than money. Birds serve as bioindicators. When diverse native birds are present, that area is assumed to be healthy and functional; when they’re gone, the opposite is true.
In Texas, 111 birds species are considered Species of Greatest Conservation Need, because their populations are declining, rare or need attention to maintain healthy status.
This map shows the intersections of the populations ranges for all 111 species where red depicts the highest concentration of range intersections.
So, what's the issue? Let's talk about light pollution. Simply put, light pollution is wasted light in the natural environment. This man-made problem is caused by overly bright, outdoor lighting that shines when and where it is not needed. This excessive light can distract or otherwise cause serious implications to the billions of birds that annually migrate through Texas.
By looking at satellite imagery of earth at night, we can see the amount of light pollution emitted throughout Texas.
Now let's see how those at risk species ranges compare to areas of high light pollution.
Drag the slider bar at the bottom of the map to compare.
But what does the collision data show? Bird collision data in Texas from iNaturalist shows a high concentration of bird collision points in areas with higher light pollution. This is a mix of increased sampling efforts in these bigger cities and the effects of increased light pollution in these bigger cities.
Birds face two problems related to light pollution, both directly and indirectly.
Recovered dove from Austin
About 80% of North American migratory birds make their journey at night, using starlight and the rotation of night skies to navigate through the flyway. Artificial light illuminating from our cities can disorient and confuse birds obscuring the stars causing them to stray from their natural flightpath.
Without the stars to guide them, birds can fly around aimlessly until they exhaust themselves. This can end in death, with lost birds running into windows or striking structures. Nearly two billion birds a year die from building strikes. By turning out all non-essential lights, we can reduce the amount of fatal building collisions.
Common yellowthroat below building in Austin
Birds are attracted to the artificial lights. This attractant disorientates them and brings them closer to areas where they can experience hazards the following day like reflective windows.
Fatal bird collision
Birds are very literal creatures and do not understand the concept of glass as a barrier. When a tree is reflected into glass, it appears as a habitat, and birds will try to fly to that “habitat” causing them to have fatal collisions.
Where Are We Now?
iNaturalist is a citizen science data collection platform
Thousands of birds have been reported as dead or injured through iNaturalist in Texas alone, with a handful of species experiencing more losses than others.
This graph shows the 30 most commonly found species in window strikes throughout Texas across six bird-window strike projects in iNaturalist from 2003 - 2023.
Photos of some of the most frequently hit birds species in Texas
A Lights Out, Texas! Monitoring project was created under iNaturalist in 2021 where community scientists have been collecting data on bird-window collisions. This has lead to a dataset of over 4,000 documented bird window collisions throughout Texas!
Lights Out Texas Monitoring
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Common yellowthroat recorded via iNaturalist in Houston
Dead Wilson's Warbler in Austin
Stunned woodcock in Dallas
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Indigo Bunting mortality in San Antonio
Ruby-throated hummingbird casualty at the Agriculture & Life Sciences Building on Texas A&M University campus, in College Station
Starting and Ending with Impact
Texas A&M student processes birds in the lab
Texas A&M Research
At Texas A&M University, the Collection of Birds at the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections (BRTC) in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology serves as not only a scientific advisor and contributor to volunteer training guides and materials for Lights Out, Texas!, but as the repository for birds that meet their fate passing through Texas.
These specimens serve as primary evidence for the importance of the Lights Out awareness campaign, and the data they provide is made available for diverse research projects at Texas A&M University, across the state, and nationally.
Students swabbing window-strike birds for highly pathogenic avian prior to them being prepared as specimens for the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections
Thanks to the BRTC, Lights Out, Texas! casualty specimens have been used in Texas A&M University’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program and their Avian Bornavirus Team. These specimens have been beneficial to programs throughout the state at The Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, the Schubot Center for Avian Health, Harris County Health and Vector Control, and the University of Texas San Antonio.
How to Help
Outdoor lighting
You can help lower the impacts of light pollution on birds by making informed, low-light options for outdoor lighting features.
When areas are flooded with excessive amounts of artificial light, "light clutter" can develop. These sources of light are confusing, cause unsafe glare, and draw birds into areas where they should not be.
Light pollution disrupts the natural patterns that birds have all evolved to thrive in a world with bright days and dark nights.
Turn off your lights at night
Help protect the billions of migratory birds that fly over Texas annually. We encourage everyone to turn off non-essential lights at night from 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. during the migration periods, and where conflicts apply, prioritize lights out during the critical peak migration periods.
Spring Migration Full Migration: March 1 - June 15 Peak Migration: April 22 - May 12
Fall Migration Full Migration: August 15 - November 30 Peak Migration: September 5 - October 29
Sign up for alerts
See when birds are passing through your city! Check out Bird Cast to see live bird migration maps, and bird migration forecasts! This will help determine when birds are flying over your area.
Advocate for your community
17 cities and 3 counties have issued a Lights Out resolution, and/or proclamation to raise public awareness as ongoing efforts to protect migratory bird populations during migration, as well as to reduce light pollution and energy consumption. A Lights Out, Texas! proclamation is an official announcement that publicly recognizes the initiative on behalf of the city, county, town, state, or tribal community.
The map to the right shows cities and counties that have given proclamations to participate in Lights Out. Has your city joined the cause?
Look up who represents you and reach out to your city, county, and state official to support Lights Out with a Proclamation, Resolution, or Ordinance. Get started by writing a letter to your Elected Official.
Spread the Word
Help increase awareness of Lights Out, Texas! by sharing this with friends and family.
Print a sign for your yard, window or patio, share the message on social media and use the hashtag #LightsOutTexas
Acknowledgments
Partner organizations
Audubon Texas, Bexar Audubon, Big Bend Conservation Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, El Paso Audubon Society, Hays County Friends of the Night Sky, Houston Audubon, Oklahoma State University, Perot Museum, Rice University, Texas A&M University Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Texas Conservation Alliance, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The University of Texas at El Paso, Travis Audubon
This Storymap was developed by Defenders of Wildlife (2023)
