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Audubon chapter urges 'Lights Out' during spring migration to protect billions of birds
Summary
Redbud Audubon asked supervisors to promote a Lights Out program during spring migration after BirdCast radar recorded a peak migration night; the group cited the county's Night Sky Initiative and recommended turning off excess lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during key dates.
Donna Mackiewicz of Redbud Audubon told the Lake County Board of Supervisors during public comment that Lake County is internationally recognized as an important bird area and urged the county to promote a Lights Out program during spring migration.
Mackiewicz said the board previously adopted a Night Sky Initiative in 2019 and noted that the county has been named the world’s largest dark-sky sanctuary for a roughly 2.5 million–acre area. She cited data from BirdCast — collected via Doppler radar — showing an estimated 183,000 birds migrated through Lake County from about 7 p.m. Saturday to 7:30 a.m. Sunday, with a peak of about 1,000 birds at the highest point. The migration direction was north, with an average speed of about 23 miles per hour and altitude around 1,400 feet, she said.
Mackiewicz recommended that building owners, managers and homeowners turn off nonessential lighting during peak migration periods, suggesting a Lights Out window of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from March 1 through June 15, following National Audubon guidance.
The comment was informational; the transcript does not show a county response or a motion to adopt a policy. Mackiewicz provided data and a public-health style recommendation aimed at reducing light pollution during migration nights.
