No matter where you live, you can take small actions to help migratory birds.

  • Use migration maps such as the one found at birdcast.info to monitor migration activities in your area.
  • Turn off all unnecessary outdoor lights, or replace them with light that are bird-friendly, such as motion-activated lights or shielded luminaries that control glare.
  • Write letters to city leaders and business owners asking them to join Lights Out.
  • Make your windows safer for birds by placing a small sticker or decal on the outside of the window, covering the window with one-way transparent film, or installing screens specifically designed to protect birds.
  • If you come across an injured bird, do not pick it up. Call your local wildlife control or Audubon society, or ask an adult to use a towel or gloves to safely put the bird in a box to bring to a rehab center.
  • Plant native trees and shrubs in your yard to offer birds additional food and shelter.
Jessica Stremer in Lights Out