Houston Audubon strongly recommends buildings more than two stories high turn LIGHTS OUT tonight and tomorrow night (Wednesday and Thursday, March 28 and March 29). We recommend buildings more than two stories high turn off unnecessary lighting during the entire migration period, March 15 to May 15.
Bird migration is well underway. Birds overwintering in the Greater Houston-Galveston region are departing for breeding grounds to the North and birds wintering in the American tropics are arriving on the Gulf Coast as they head for breeding grounds in the southern United States.
Migration for the region is predicted to be low to medium intensity by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdCast Program. It is likely that the weather frontal passage today and tonight will bring migratory birds from normal high altitudes (e.g. 2,000-8,000 ft.) to areas of lowest headwinds and shelter, lower than 1,000 ft. to ground level.
With grounded birds in the region likely tomorrow, daytime collisions of naïve birds at ground level will be significantly increased. Please consider limiting dangerous threats such as glass surfaces reflecting vegetated habitat and outdoor predators such as house cats. More information on how you can reduce threats can be found at the Houston Audubon Bird-Friendly Communities webpages.
Thank you for making our region safer for wildlife!
Houston Audubon Lights Out Program Team
