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Supporting a City of Philadelphia "Lights Out" Campaign and recognizing and honoring the Bird Safe Philly Coalition, the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, and the Building Owners and Managers Association Philadelphia in their collaborative effort to protect the migratory bird population.
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WHEREAS, Bird/glass collisions in the U.S. are estimated to cause as many as one billion bird deaths each year. These deaths are one of the factors most responsible for a 29% decline in North American bird populations since 1970. About 70% of North America's land birds (350-400 species) are migratory. Of these, more than 80% migrate at night; and
WHEREAS, Most native songbirds live in rural or forested habitats that are light-free at night. During migration, intense lights can cause birds to collide with windows or walls, or cause them to circle in confusion, leaving them weak and exhausted when they land; and
WHEREAS, Each year, 100 million or more birds pass through Philadelphia during spring and fall while migrating between their breeding and wintering grounds. Many never complete their epic journey because they are killed when they slam into buildings and fly into windows, confused by the bright lights and glass; and
WHEREAS, The most common species to meet their demise by Philly buildings are Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, White-throated?Sparrows, and?Gray?Catbirds; and
WHEREAS, In an effort to solve this problem, the Bird Safe Philly Coalition, the City of Philadelphia, and the building industry have partnered to establish a "Lights Out" campaign; and
WHEREAS, Thirty-three cities in the United States already have "Lights Out" programs including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Wilmington, and Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, "Lights Out" is a voluntary program that involves turning off or blocking as many external and internal building lights as possible at night during migration seasons when birds are passing through the City ...
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