Greensboro Prepares for Fall Bird Migration with “Lights Out” Campaign

The City of Greensboro, in partnership with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society and local businesses, is preparing for the fall bird migration season through its "Lights Out" Program, first launched in 2022. This voluntary, community-wide initiative helps protect migrating birds while conserving energy and reducing light pollution.

The program operates twice a year during peak migration seasons: March 15 through May 31 in the spring and September 10 through November 30 in the fall. During this time, building managers, businesses, and homeowners are encouraged to turn off or block as many non-essential exterior and interior lights as possible between 11 pm and 6 am.

"Our organization is proud to join Lights Out for Birds. It's a simple step that supports sustainability, saves energy, and makes Greensboro part of a nationwide movement," said Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. S. Shree Dorestant, DM. "Managing how we use lighting is a powerful tool for sustainability - reducing light pollution, protecting birds, and promoting better environmental health."

A 2024 study published in the Public Library of Science found that 365 million to 1 billion birds die each year in the U.S. due to building collisions, affecting over 50 avian families and hundreds of species. These collisions occur not only at multi-story buildings in urban areas but also at individual homes in rural communities. Research in other cities shows "Lights Out" programs significantly reduce these losses.

Dozens of U.S. cities - including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem - have adopted similar programs. Greensboro has already reduced light usage in City government buildings, advancing the GSO2040 Comprehensive Plan goals for sustainability and supporting the City's upcoming Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Cities recertification in 2026.

Community participation is essential to the program's success. Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign the pledge to join Greensboro's "Lights Out" initiative and certify their properties as safe passage zones for migrating birds.

For more details and to take the pledge, visit the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society website, visit https://www.tgpearsonaudubon.org/.