Safe Light for Safe Flight

Located at the intersection of two major North American migration paths,  Detroit plays an important role in bird migration. Millions of birds — including warblers, hummingbirds, and flycatchers with declining populations — migrate through Detroit every spring and fall.

Detroit Bird Alliance’s Safe Light for Safe Flight program aims to provide safe passage for migrating birds and is one of many Lights Out initiatives around the United States. The organization asks buildings during migration season to reduce non-essential lights overnight – with the exception of lights needed for human safety and security.

Most migrating birds fly at night, using celestial cues such as the moon and stars for navigation. As birds fly over urban areas like Detroit, they are naturally drawn to the artificial lights of tall buildings, communications towers, and other floodlit structures. The result can be deadly collisions with these structures. 

Even if collisions are avoided, studies show bright lights confuse birds and cause them to detour drastically from their migratory routes, flying in circles and wasting crucial energy. The exhaustion can be fatal or leave them vulnerable to other urban threats and predators.