As part of the Pacific Flyway, millions of birds make their way through Sacramento and the Central Valley every year. Many of these remarkable migrations occur under the cover of darkness. Artificial lights attract and disorient migrating birds, throwing them off their natural migration path and needlessly exhausting them, increasing the risk from urban dangers including window strikes, cat predation, and toxins.
Help birds migrate safely
to their summer homes.
As a resident
Turn off or reduce outside lights, especially during migration season.
Install lights with timers or motion sensors. Turning out lights for even 20 to 30 minutes allows birds to re-orient and move on.
If you live in the higher stories of an apartment building, draw shades or use task lighting.
Incorporate bird safe window ideas. The American Bird Conservancy and Cornell Lab of Ornithology both have great information.
As a concerned citizen
Contact local businesses about turning off their lights during migration season.
Contact local elected officials, encourage the turning off of lights in public buildings.
Share your thoughts on social media. Here are some ideas for Facebook.
As a business owner or manager
Turn off building lights from 11pm until 6am during migration season. This includes internal lighting, external decorative lights and lobby or atrium lights.
Install timers and motion detectors to minimize use of lights at night.
Talk to employees / tenants about the money saving advantages and conservation benefits of turning off the lights.
Find out what birds are migrating through our area with our Checklist of Birds of the Sacramento Area.
Spring Migration
February 15 -
May 30
Fall Migration
August 15 -
November 30
Check out real-time migration activity using Cornell Lab’s BirdCast. View migration maps
Worried About Safety?
Read what the International Dark Sky Association has to say on the issue of lighting, crime, and safety.
Western Tanager, Image by Ray Rozema