This year the Wildlife Diversity program emphasizes five ways to help wild animals where they live.
In this article we will talk about the risk of artificial light from migration birds and opportunities at night how we can improve the lighting outdoors to help our feathered friends.
The amount of artificial light in the night sky has increased dramatically since the 1950s, although two thirds of the US population are now unable to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. In many urban areas in the USA, fewer than 100 stars are visible.
All of this artificial light at night not only affects our enjoyment of the night sky, but also has a really biological effects, especially the animal world, especially the hiking birds.
Lights threaten hiking birds
70% of North American birds are hiking and 80% of these migrants travel at night. At least some birds use the stars to navigate them. Studies show that lights can interrupt migration and even damage or kill birds, with birds of up to 3 miles away from luminaires or being disoriented.
Many migratory birds travel every spring and autumn thousands of miles and every time they are due to light lights from the course or disoriented, they consume valuable time and energy that are necessary to complete their long trips. Lights also often attract birds to urban areas, in which they are more of additional dangers such as collisions with building windows and vehicles, predators of cats outdoors and exposure to pesticides. Fortunately, there are many strategies with which we can reduce the effects of lights on birds.
Make your lighting for birds and other wildlife more secure with these tips and tricks
Switch off unnecessary lights
Is your veranda light really necessary if you don't expect visitors? Does the soccer field have to be illuminated after 10 p.m.?
Does the office building have to keep all lights all night when nobody works? There are many cases in which people stop light if it is not really necessary for human safety or visibility.
By carefully thinking about why lights are switched on and when they are really necessary, we can reduce excess light at night.
Switching off unnecessary lights is particularly important in spring and autumn bird hike. In Iowa its peak from April to May to August to October.
Switching off interior and outdoor lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. can be particularly helpful to hike birds. Are you not sure if you can switch off the light all the time but still want to help? You can register for migration warnings and switch off the light on the busiest nights when most birds fly.
Use only as much light as necessary
Think about the last time you had to thread a needle in the middle of the night in the parking lot for the shopping center … Oh wait.
The planning of lighting for its intended purpose and no more than necessary is a great way to reduce electrical invoices and help birds and other wild animals. It is astonishing how little light you actually need to be safe at night.
Shield lighting
Have you ever seen a road light in which the light bulb generates a ball of light and sent more than half of the output to the sky where nobody will ever use it? All of the additional light is not helpful for humans and can be dangerous for birds and other wild animals that navigate at night. The shielding of the light, so that it is useful for humans, is a great way to reduce the light and the effects of wild animals.
Use timers, dimmers and motion sensors
Is the light constantly or only in certain hours or when people are present? The use of motion sensors, timers and dimmers to switch off the light if they are not used is another strategy to reduce unintentional effects on the wildlife.
Use warm colored light (3000k and below)
Do you know how people always say that blue light keeps them awake and you should avoid it right before going to bed? Well, this general headmaster also applies to wild animals. Wild animals are more tightly colored or white/blue light. The use of warm lights in the red and yellow spectrum below 3000 Kelvin delivers a lot of light for human eyes and is less distracted or is tied up for birds and other wild animals.