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"LIGHTS OUT NIAGARA"
BON Bird Friendly City Initiative
Welcome to Birds on the Niagara's Lights Out Niagara webpage. Beginning in late April 2022 we are working on an initiative to encourage governments, building owners, and homeowners to turn out non-essential lights between the hours of 10 p.m. and dawn between April 15- May 31, and August 15- November 15, in the Niagara River Corridor.
We will also be working on promoting programs that help to prevent bird- building collisions including glass safe building, bird and nature friendly building codes, and what you can do to help with your own property.
Learn more about the Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area by CLICKING HERE
Stay-tuned to this webpage for ongoing updates as to our activities and initiatives. You can also visit us on Facebook at:
We will also be working on promoting programs that help to prevent bird- building collisions including glass safe building, bird and nature friendly building codes, and what you can do to help with your own property.
Learn more about the Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area by CLICKING HERE
Stay-tuned to this webpage for ongoing updates as to our activities and initiatives. You can also visit us on Facebook at:
Thank-you to everyone that joined Lights Out Niagara on World Migratory Bird Day, Saturday May 14, 2022 at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo for a launch of our Lights Out Niagara Initiative!
See the event talks here:
See the event talks here:
Lights Out Niagara Statement
World Migratory Bird Day
May 14, 2022
“Dim the Lights For Birds at Night”
Saturday May 14, 2022 is World Migratory Bird Day. This years focus is “The Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds”.
Birds on the Niagara, North America’s only International Bird Festival which is held each February, is proud to announce “Lights Out Niagara”.
This campaign is designed to encourage local and regional governments, building owners and managers, and other relevant parties to turn off non-essential lights during peak migration seasons. Peak migration season is April 15-May 31, and August 15-November 15.
The Niagara River Corridor is a Globally Significant Important Bird Area. The designation is due to the use of the corridor by migratory and breeding birds that migrate through this region from as far away as the Amazon, Caribbean, Central America and the Arctic. The designation recognizes threats to this corridor by issues including inappropriate development and pollution, including light pollution.
Many bird species are experiencing rapidly declining populations. In North America over 3 billion birds have vanished since 1970, representing almost 30% of the total populations of North American avifauna. Just in the last decade alone, neotropical spring migration has declined by 14%.
Light pollution is a significant contributor to bird mortality. Many bird species including neotropical birds such as swallows, warblers, orioles, and common and well-known species, rely on the night sky for migration. These species are hard hit by light pollution. Millions die each year in the Great Lakes alone due to collisions with buildings, often because they are attracted to lights during the night. These birds are important contributors to the overall health of local, regional and planetary biodiversity health, including human health. Some of these birds which are migrating from as far away as the Amazon and Central America, are coming through the Niagara region now during this critical migratory period.
Many communities throughout North America, and the Great Lakes have adopted policies and encouraged voluntary lights out measures to help protect birds. Communities in the Niagara Region have not. Lights Out Niagara is designed to increase awareness of the threats to bird species, and to propose and help introduce solutions so that the International Niagara River Corridor can become better leaders and stewards of birds, nature, and biodiversity.
Please join our community partners and elected officials as we launch this campaign on World Migratory Bird Day 2022.
Jay Burney Birds on the Niagara, Lights Out Niagara, Buffalo Audubon
"The international Niagara region is the location of the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area. This designation recognizes the importance and value of the region to migrating and breeding birds. Light pollution is a serious hazard that kills millions of birds in the Great Lakes each year. We need to join with other North American and Great Lakes communities including Toledo, Toronto, Detroit, and Cleveland in order to make our region more bird and nature friendly”
New York State Senator Sean Ryan
Senator Sean Ryan said, "Working together, we can find ways to better protect the many migratory birds that make their way through New York each year. Turning off non-essential lights is a cost-effective way for members of our local community to do their part to protect birds during their migratory periods and promote biodiversity in our region.”
Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski said, "The natural environment and waterways surrounding the City of Buffalo are an incredible resource for us all to enjoy, but with that comes a big responsibility: ensuring that our built environment interferes as little as possible with the natural world around us. The Niagara River is an internationally significant area for bird migration, and light pollution in the City can be a detriment to migration patterns and the biodiversity of the region. I'm grateful to Birds on the Niagara for raising awareness about the need for action on this issue, and I hope to make this a priority in the Common Council soon."
New York State Assemblyman Pat Burke: ”When it comes to preserving our region's beautiful wildlife and biodiversity, it's essential we do everything in our power to take the necessary steps to ensure its protection. Turning off non-essential lights is a perfect example of a small act that can go a long way in creating nature-friendly places to help the migratory bird population thrive."
John Whitney Western New York Environmental Alliance
As we observe this May 14, 2022 World Migratory Bird Day with this year’s theme, “The Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds,” the Western New York Environmental Alliance applauds efforts to focus attention on opportunities to reduce the harmful impacts of nighttime light pollution. We view the “lights out” initiative, already in place in many communities but not yet in this region, as an important component of the Western New York Environmental Alliance’s “Decade of Biodiversity” campaign. In the midst of the “6th Mass Extinction” and with the impacts of habitat loss and climate change already causing precipitous declines in the numbers of many bird species, including migratory species that pass through this Lake Erie & Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area, we need to do all we can to ensure the health and safety of the creatures with which we share this planet.
Margaret Wooster, Friends of Times Beach and the Our Outer Harbor Coalition:
"Buffalo's Outer Harbor is the western gateway to the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area. Our Outer Harbor Coalition supports the "Lights Out" initiative as an important step towards protecting all natural coastal processes in our unique Erie-Niagara corridor. What we do and don’t do here impacts birds, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and local, Great Lakes , and hemispheric health. Actions consistent with conservation and natural regeneration have important consequences now and for future generations.”
Arthur Pearson, CEO and President of the River Tory Peterson Institute:
“Roger Tory Peterson famously sounded the alarm about DDT and many other perils that caused great harm to the world’s birds,” says Arthur Pearson, CEO of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. “RTPI stands shoulder to shoulder with Birds on the Niagara, Buffalo Audubon, the Buffalo Ornithological Society, the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Oiseaux Canada, and the many other organizations and individuals working to establish Lights Out Programs throughout Western New York, one of the great bird migration corridors in the world.”
References:
Lights Out Niagara
https://birdsontheniagara.org/lights-out-niagara.html
What is World Migratory Bird Day
The Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area
https://birdsontheniagara.org/the-niagara-river-iba.html
World Migratory Bird Day
May 14, 2022
“Dim the Lights For Birds at Night”
Saturday May 14, 2022 is World Migratory Bird Day. This years focus is “The Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds”.
Birds on the Niagara, North America’s only International Bird Festival which is held each February, is proud to announce “Lights Out Niagara”.
This campaign is designed to encourage local and regional governments, building owners and managers, and other relevant parties to turn off non-essential lights during peak migration seasons. Peak migration season is April 15-May 31, and August 15-November 15.
The Niagara River Corridor is a Globally Significant Important Bird Area. The designation is due to the use of the corridor by migratory and breeding birds that migrate through this region from as far away as the Amazon, Caribbean, Central America and the Arctic. The designation recognizes threats to this corridor by issues including inappropriate development and pollution, including light pollution.
Many bird species are experiencing rapidly declining populations. In North America over 3 billion birds have vanished since 1970, representing almost 30% of the total populations of North American avifauna. Just in the last decade alone, neotropical spring migration has declined by 14%.
Light pollution is a significant contributor to bird mortality. Many bird species including neotropical birds such as swallows, warblers, orioles, and common and well-known species, rely on the night sky for migration. These species are hard hit by light pollution. Millions die each year in the Great Lakes alone due to collisions with buildings, often because they are attracted to lights during the night. These birds are important contributors to the overall health of local, regional and planetary biodiversity health, including human health. Some of these birds which are migrating from as far away as the Amazon and Central America, are coming through the Niagara region now during this critical migratory period.
Many communities throughout North America, and the Great Lakes have adopted policies and encouraged voluntary lights out measures to help protect birds. Communities in the Niagara Region have not. Lights Out Niagara is designed to increase awareness of the threats to bird species, and to propose and help introduce solutions so that the International Niagara River Corridor can become better leaders and stewards of birds, nature, and biodiversity.
Please join our community partners and elected officials as we launch this campaign on World Migratory Bird Day 2022.
Jay Burney Birds on the Niagara, Lights Out Niagara, Buffalo Audubon
"The international Niagara region is the location of the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area. This designation recognizes the importance and value of the region to migrating and breeding birds. Light pollution is a serious hazard that kills millions of birds in the Great Lakes each year. We need to join with other North American and Great Lakes communities including Toledo, Toronto, Detroit, and Cleveland in order to make our region more bird and nature friendly”
New York State Senator Sean Ryan
Senator Sean Ryan said, "Working together, we can find ways to better protect the many migratory birds that make their way through New York each year. Turning off non-essential lights is a cost-effective way for members of our local community to do their part to protect birds during their migratory periods and promote biodiversity in our region.”
Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski said, "The natural environment and waterways surrounding the City of Buffalo are an incredible resource for us all to enjoy, but with that comes a big responsibility: ensuring that our built environment interferes as little as possible with the natural world around us. The Niagara River is an internationally significant area for bird migration, and light pollution in the City can be a detriment to migration patterns and the biodiversity of the region. I'm grateful to Birds on the Niagara for raising awareness about the need for action on this issue, and I hope to make this a priority in the Common Council soon."
New York State Assemblyman Pat Burke: ”When it comes to preserving our region's beautiful wildlife and biodiversity, it's essential we do everything in our power to take the necessary steps to ensure its protection. Turning off non-essential lights is a perfect example of a small act that can go a long way in creating nature-friendly places to help the migratory bird population thrive."
John Whitney Western New York Environmental Alliance
As we observe this May 14, 2022 World Migratory Bird Day with this year’s theme, “The Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds,” the Western New York Environmental Alliance applauds efforts to focus attention on opportunities to reduce the harmful impacts of nighttime light pollution. We view the “lights out” initiative, already in place in many communities but not yet in this region, as an important component of the Western New York Environmental Alliance’s “Decade of Biodiversity” campaign. In the midst of the “6th Mass Extinction” and with the impacts of habitat loss and climate change already causing precipitous declines in the numbers of many bird species, including migratory species that pass through this Lake Erie & Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area, we need to do all we can to ensure the health and safety of the creatures with which we share this planet.
Margaret Wooster, Friends of Times Beach and the Our Outer Harbor Coalition:
"Buffalo's Outer Harbor is the western gateway to the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area. Our Outer Harbor Coalition supports the "Lights Out" initiative as an important step towards protecting all natural coastal processes in our unique Erie-Niagara corridor. What we do and don’t do here impacts birds, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and local, Great Lakes , and hemispheric health. Actions consistent with conservation and natural regeneration have important consequences now and for future generations.”
Arthur Pearson, CEO and President of the River Tory Peterson Institute:
“Roger Tory Peterson famously sounded the alarm about DDT and many other perils that caused great harm to the world’s birds,” says Arthur Pearson, CEO of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. “RTPI stands shoulder to shoulder with Birds on the Niagara, Buffalo Audubon, the Buffalo Ornithological Society, the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Oiseaux Canada, and the many other organizations and individuals working to establish Lights Out Programs throughout Western New York, one of the great bird migration corridors in the world.”
References:
Lights Out Niagara
https://birdsontheniagara.org/lights-out-niagara.html
What is World Migratory Bird Day
The Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area
https://birdsontheniagara.org/the-niagara-river-iba.html
NEW: May 17, 2022
Buffalo Common Council introduces Resolution to support Lights Out Niagara
Buffalo Common Council introduces Resolution to support Lights Out Niagara
Lights Out Niagara 2022 Information Page. Downloadable
BACKGROUND Brief
Our BON21 Programming focused on Conservation Strategies in the International Niagara River Corridor. One of our featured speakers, Dr. Timothy Beatley, founder of the Biophilic Cities Network, and author of a new book The Bird Friendly City as well as presentations by Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP Canada) have inspired and lead us to create this initiative.
For More on Tim Beatley including his BON21 Presentation CLICK HERE
For More on FLAP Canada including the BON21 Presentation CLICK HERE
Our BON21 Programming focused on Conservation Strategies in the International Niagara River Corridor. One of our featured speakers, Dr. Timothy Beatley, founder of the Biophilic Cities Network, and author of a new book The Bird Friendly City as well as presentations by Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP Canada) have inspired and lead us to create this initiative.
For More on Tim Beatley including his BON21 Presentation CLICK HERE
For More on FLAP Canada including the BON21 Presentation CLICK HERE
MORE BON22 VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING
LIGHTS OUT WESTERN NEW YORK, A BILLION REASONS WHY
Creating a "Lights Out" Movement for a Bird-safe Niagara Region
Presenter: Arthur Pearson, CEO, Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Join Arthur Pearson, CEO of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown New York as he discusses why "lights out" initiatives in the Niagara Region are critical to the conservation of birds.
Creating a "Lights Out" Movement for a Bird-safe Niagara Region
Presenter: Arthur Pearson, CEO, Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Join Arthur Pearson, CEO of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown New York as he discusses why "lights out" initiatives in the Niagara Region are critical to the conservation of birds.
LIGHTS OUT, PROTECTING MIGRATORY BIRDS IN NEW YORK CITY AND BEYOND
Presenter: Kaitlyn Parkins, New York City Audubon Interim Director of Conservation and Science.
Join Kaitlyn Parkins as she profiles the why's and how's of groundbreaking and bird saving investments and legislation by New York City and New York City Audubon.
Presenter: Kaitlyn Parkins, New York City Audubon Interim Director of Conservation and Science.
Join Kaitlyn Parkins as she profiles the why's and how's of groundbreaking and bird saving investments and legislation by New York City and New York City Audubon.
