SAN ANTONIO — It’s time to turn off your lights because right now millions of birds are migrating from up north passing right through San Antonio.
In order to make it to those warmer temps for the winter they need your help.
Many of the birds you see in our San Antonio parks right now are using the stars as navigation to that summer oasis so experts ask through the end of November you turn those lights off at night.
“80% of all migratory birds are traveling at night," Chloe Crumely with Mitchell Lake Audubon Center said.
“Birds don’t see the same way we do," Sara Beesely with Mitchell Lake Audubon Center said.
Crumely added that lights attract birds and then disorient them from their migratory path. Their path is typically on the outskirts of cities and in rural areas.
When they try to take off the next day from these areas with too much florescent light Crumely said the birds end up colliding with glass.
"Between 100-million and a billion birds die from building collisions every year," Beesely said.
That’s why they’re asking you turn off your lights at night or follow the dark sky lighting principles in Texas.
"Which is having motion sensor lighting…down shielded lighting…warm lighting only where you need it…make sure it is essential lighting," Crumely said.
The lights out initiative started in 2017 when something tragic happened in Galveston, Texas. Right off the coast where birds are coming in from their migration one building in one night saw around 400 birds colliding into it.
Now Audubon Texas works to address and correct lighting or glass that can hurt migratory birds with the 'Lights out, Texas' initiative.
So before you go to bed tonight remember to keep those lights off through the end of November.
"We know that it does reduce collisions and we have seen that in Texas…but if we can get all of us together and on the same page…i think we can see a larger change," Crumely said.