1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren Bolbaum. Here, Buildings and windows kill roughly 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: a billion birds in the United States every year, due 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: in part to the artificial lights that disorient them and 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: cause them to crash in The National Audubon Society and 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: its partners began the Lights Out program in Chicago to 7 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: alert building owners and managers to this problem and convinced 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: them to turn off unnecessary lights when birds are migrating. 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: As of early two forty seven cities had adopted Lights 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: Out programs, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Washington, 11 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: d C. There are also statewide and regional programs, including 12 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: Lights Out Colorado, Lights Out Georgia, and Lights Out Heartland. 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: Most of these programs are ramping up from August fift 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: through November fift this year to coincide with birds natural 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: fall migration. Okay, but let's talk about why lights are 16 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: so dangerous to birds After feral cats. Buildings and windows 17 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: are the second greatest killer of American birds, especially during 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: the two times a year when many migrate, flying between 19 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: breeding and wintering habitats, attracted by the bright artificial lights 20 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: at night. Birds fly into buildings and glass windows and 21 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: are often killed by the impact. If they aren't killed, 22 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: their flight patterns are disrupted, causing them to become disoriented 23 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: and circle in confusion and interfering with their daytime cycle 24 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: of resting and refueling. Also, biologists have found that light 25 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: pollution causes birds to start nesting earlier than normal. The 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: resulting mismatch and timing can cause hungry chicks to hatch 27 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: before their food supply is available. A lights out works 28 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: on mitigating these problems by requesting building owners and managers 29 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: turned lights off during the migration season from midnight to 30 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: six am each morning. Audubon recommends they quote turn off 31 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: exterior decorate of lighting, extinguished spot and floodlights, a substitute 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: strobe lighting where possible, Reduced lobby and atrium lighting wherever possible. 33 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: Turn off interior lighting, especially on upper floors. Substitute task 34 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: and area lighting for workers staying late, or pull window 35 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: coverings down, shield exterior lighting to eliminate all light directed 36 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: upward and horizontal glare, and install motion sensors and automatic 37 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: controls wherever possible. Let's take Philadelphia for example. The city 38 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: is located along a migration corridor for birds, and each 39 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: year tens of millions of birds passed through while migrating, 40 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: making it potentially dangerous if too many lights are left on. 41 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: Bird Safe Philly, a coalition of nonprofits adjoined together with 42 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: the City of Philadelphia and its building industry to create 43 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: Lights Up Philly in It began its first migration season 44 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: April one of that year, the peak of spring migration. 45 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: It ran through thirty one and again August fifteen through 46 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: November fifteenth, when birds traveled south. During that time, forty 47 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: one commercial, fifty three residential, and six municipal participants pledged 48 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 1: to turn off their lights to help birds out. It 49 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: may seem like a small measure, but Chicago, the first 50 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: lights out city in the nation, has reported saving ten 51 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: thousand birds every year since it began the program. Even 52 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: if your city isn't participating in the Lights Out program, 53 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: you can still help close the blinds or turn off 54 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: into your lights when you leave a room. If you 55 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: have control over your outdoor lighting, choose down shielded lighting options, 56 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: add timers and or motion sensors if possible, and turn 57 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: off outdoor spotlights or decorative lighting between midnight and six am. 58 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: The National Audubon Society also suggests residents of major cities 59 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: urged their building owners, managers, and other homeowners to turn 60 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: off outdoor lighting during the months when birds are migrating. 61 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: While birds are facing a lot of challenges along with 62 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: the buildings, there's climate change, feral cats, and habitat destruction. 63 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: We can them out by working to fix the problems 64 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: that we've created. Today's episode is based on the article 65 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: Audubon's Lights Out program Kills the Lights to Save the 66 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: Birds on houst works dot Com, written by Stephanie Parker. 67 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production by Heart Radio in partnership with 68 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: houst Works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. 69 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 70 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 71 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: favorite shows.