Bird Friendly Uxbridge asks residents to help migrating birds

Nancy Melcher

Upward-pointing spotlight Nancy Melcher

Spring is officially here (although the recent weather might have you questioning that), the sun shines for more minutes every day, spring bulbs are poking up through the soil, snowbanks have all but disappeared, and birds are winging their way back from their winter homes.

Migrating birds face many hazards on their journeys home. Sudden changes in weather can cover up food sources, blow them off course, and even make the mere act of flying an endurance test. Add an obstacle course of man-made structures to these natural challenges, then top it off with nighttime lighting that confuses their sense of direction, and the perils of migration become a massive challenge.

Every spring and fall the Nature Conservancy of Canada estimates that 20 million birds die from collisions with buildings. Some collide with tall buildings, and these get reported in the press. However, far more will die from crashing into family homes. They mistake the reflections they see in clean glass windows for a safe passage through the neighbourhood.

Upward-pointing floodlight Nancy Melcher

There are several things that businesses, municipal buildings, homeowners, and apartment dwellers can do to help keep birds away from our windows. One is to keep window coverings closed, particularly during the breeding season. Another is to place strings in front of windows or decals right on the glass to break up the reflections. Painting designs on the glass, as has been done on some of the municipal office windows in Uxbridge, also makes birds aware that there’s a solid barrier there. All these strategies are effective during the day to help keep birds safe from collisions.

However, many birds migrate at night, so different strategies are needed to keep these winged travellers safe from. A major concern is night-time lighting, both along streets as well as around houses. Artificial light at night is referred to as ALAN. The good news is that modern streetlights are designed to shine downwards towards the ground, making walking and driving safer.

Bollard style spreads light horizontally  Nancy Melcher

However, lights shining upwards are a huge ALAN problem. The two 9/11 tribute lights in New York City, where the World Trade Centre once towers stood, “trap” birds by the thousands. They enter the massive columns of light, become disoriented, and can’t find their way out. The lights are switched off for 20 minutes when the numbers reach 1,000 birds trapped inside the beams, to allow the birds to disperse and resume their migration. Outdoor lighting in neighbourhoods can have the same affect. To help, turn off any lights around your home or business that shine upwards. If safety is paramount, consider installing motion sensors so the lights will automatically shut off when no longer needed, or use timers to turn them on and off.

Modern cities have changed the night sky. For birds, insects and other animals, the absence of true darkness affects many aspects of their behaviour, including daily rhythms of sleep and wakefulness, timing of moulting and reproductive behaviour, feeding strategies, and timing of migration. In addition, it seems to weaken the immune systems of some organisms.

The Bird Friendly Uxbridge group encourages homeowners to pledge to turn off any unnecessary lights during the warmer months to help protect biodiversity. Homes, businesses, farms, and schools are invited to make a pledge to reduce night-time lighting from April 1 through to November 1. Follow the group on Facebook and Instagram to find the Lights Out Uxbridge pledge form. More information is on the website of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) at www.flap.org, the Nature Conservancy of Canada at www.natureconservancy.ca, and about Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) at www.artificiallightatnight.org.