The majority of these migratory species migrate at night, utilizing cues from the night sky to navigate successfully to their summer and winter habitats (or to that single hole in that one red oak in Pisgah National Forest). Certain species will even travel thousands of miles to return to the same cavity nest each year to raise their young. In North America, there are nearly 340 different species of neotropical migratory birds that make a bi-annual journey between South/Central America and North America (National Audubon Society 2022). Twice a year, neotropical migratory songbirds take on a daring journey between their summer and winter habitats. Mayor Manheimer recently signed a proclamation that designates March-May and September-November as “Migratory Bird Awareness Months,” and has entrusted Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter and the Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville to create a Lights Out program that is supported by the Asheville residential and business community. in 2019 placed the City of Asheville among the top 125 significant cities in the United States that produce migration-disruption light pollution during both the spring and fall migratory seasons. On a peak migration night during the Spring or Fall, over 50,000 birds pass over Asheville every hour. As part of the greater Atlantic Flyway, our mountains serve as a migration route for hundreds of species of birds, many of which are declining in population. The city of Asheville exists along a major migratory path for birds – the Appalachian Mountains. A landmark study conducted by the Field Museum in Chicago showed that by turning the lights off in one building, the number of birds killed there dropped by over 80 percent. Fortunately, a simple thing like turning out lights can help birds navigate our environment and protect them from unnecessary harm. From our best current scientific understanding, hundreds of millions of birds die in the U.S.

Brightly lit buildings draw birds towards cities, making them susceptible to the many lethal threats posed by the human-built environment (e.g., fatal window collisions, predation, etc). Unfortunately, light pollution emitted from urban centers, like the city of Asheville, disrupt migratory birds along their nighttime journeys.

Many birds migrate at night using natural light cues like the moon and stars.

Download lights out for birds