Calgarians asked to turn off lights during spring migration

A robin is shown in a stock photo. (Pexels/Pixabay)

Bird Friendly Calgary is encouraging residents and businesses to turn off their lights to support birds as they migrate this spring.

"Most birds migrate at night, when it is cooler, when fewer predators are hunting, and to use the stars for navigation," said Bird Friendly Calgary in a news release.

Anybody interested in helping can start Saturday by dimming, or turning off their lights during Earth Hour, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.

"One of the greatest risks to these birds is light pollution, which is known to draw birds off course and into the city where, confused and exhausted, they are vulnerable to collisions with buildings and other urban threats like cats and toxins," explains Bird Friendly Calgary.

Following Earth Hour, Bird Friendly Calgary’s Lights Out for Birds campaign happens each night between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. until May 31.

"In North America, an estimated 365 to 988 million birds die in collisions with buildings annually, including a number of species of high conservation concern," based on Bird Friendly Calgary data.

"Calgary’s enormous growth and the resulting light pollution have made our city a significant threat to migrating birds, from robins and finches to sandpipers."

Nature Canada recognized Calgary as a Bird Friendly City in 2021.