As migrating birds make their way across Texas this fall, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is urging North Texas residents and businesses to turn off non-essential lights at night.
鈥淏y taking this small step together, we can make a major difference for our environment,鈥� Johnson said.
Of all the birds in the U.S., 1 in 3 migrate through Texas. Some of them include rail marsh birds, ruby-throated hummingbirds and scissor-tailed flycatchers.
estimates that as many as 600 million birds are killed annually due to light pollution, which disorients them and makes them more likely to collide with buildings. Dallas is one of the three deadliest cities for bird strikes, along with Houston and Chicago.
鈥淭exas is the central flyway for bird migration,鈥� said Jacob Poinsett, program manager with the Trinity Audubon Center. 鈥淚t is important to create a safe passage.鈥�
, a statewide initiative led by former First Lady Laura Bush, aims to educate people on the importance of dimming lights to help birds safely migrate. The program says it鈥檚 vital to protect birds because they help measure the health of the environment.
A revealed that turning off just half of the lights shining through windows during the spring and fall migration seasons could reduce fatal bird collisions by 60%.
Mayor Johnson issued a city proclamation Monday recognizing that city light is a threat to bird migration. He is encouraging Dallasites to dim or turn off lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Sept. 27 through Oct. 17. Other cities like , Austin and Houston are doing the same.
Ben Jones, executive director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, said it's important to do what we can to support bird migration.
鈥淭his is a pretty simple action. It's a no brainer. You can save birds' lives with a simple flip of a switch.".
Got a tip? Alejandra Martinez is a corps member and writes about the impact of COVID-19 on underserved communities for 四虎影院. Email Alejandra at amartinez@kera.org. You can follow Alejandra on Twitter
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider today. Thank you.
