Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!

The year 2022 is a critical year for efforts to protect our Planet, as the world will come together to agree on a Global Biodiversity Framework, – a Paris-style agreement for nature, representing a once in a decade opportunity for countries to reverse nature loss and build a more nature-positive future.

Many issues threaten the future of our shared home. One of those issues is light pollution, which is increasing globally by at least two percent a year. Light pollution wastes energy and impacts the entire ecosystem, including millions of migratory birds. Did you know that most birds migrate at night? Artificial light attracts and disorients nocturnally migrating birds, making them more likely to land in areas where they are more vulnerable to collisions and other dangers. Light pollution also impacts birds in other ways, disrupting their internal clocks, long-distance migrations, as well as other vital behaviors.

World Migratory Bird Day, which is celebrated on both the second Saturday in May (14th) and October (8th), celebrates the migration of birds across countries and continents. This year, the campaign will be focusing on the issue of light pollution and the negative effects it is having on migratory birds. With the theme “Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!” the campaign will promote steps that individuals, communities, and governments can take to reduce the impact of light pollution on birds. It will also be used to promote best practice guidelines which are being developed under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to address this growing issue and to ensure that action is taken globally to help birds migrate safely.

Earthhour and all that it represents has grown to become more than just an hour, it is a movement for our future, our planet and #ForNature – including for millions of migratory birds which migrate across our skies at night!

Let’s come together and use #EarthHour and the upcoming #WorldMigratoryBirdDay on 14 MAy and 8 October 2022 to also raise awareness about the impact of light pollution on migrating birds and take steps to “Dim the Lights for Birds at Night”!

Learn more about Earthhour here and learn more about the impact of light pollution on migratory birds here.