04/28/2026
Tonight is a PEAK migration night across Oklahoma. Please join us at WildCareOklahoma observing LIGHTS OUT for MIGRATORY BIRDS from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Most birds migrate at night. Lights left on between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. can confuse birds that rely on the moon, stars, and the rising or setting sun to navigate their long and arduous journeys. Lights can attract them into urban landscapes, where they risk crashing into buildings and powerlines. Even more heartbreaking, they waste hard-earned calories flying in these hostile environments calling out for family and flock members dying from exhaustion.
By turning off exterior lighting and keeping interior lighting from shining out into the night with blinds or drapes, you can literally help the hundreds of millions of birds that will cross our state.
Many people keep their lights on at night to deter burglars. The truth is most burglaries happen during the day when people are at work. And nighttime lighting creates shadows, which helps people with ill intent hide. Motion-activated lights and security systems are far more effective in deterring crime.
If you do have outdoor lighting, consider shielding it, so it points down and use only amber spectrum lighting. It has longer wavelengths and is less likely to disrupt nocturnal migrants as well as nighttime pollinators.
Consider advocating for birds by talking to city and county officials, business owners, school systems, and universities and getting them to commit to Lights Out Oklahoma from now through the end of May!
Finally, you’ll save money and cut down on pollution, too. You may even catch a glimpse of planets, stars, and galaxies that have been obscured from view due to light pollution. It’s hard to believe something so simple has so many benefits!
