Under the blanket of night, millions of migratory birds soar over Oklahoma from March until the end of spring to reach their breeding grounds. But scientists say artificial lights can disrupt birds’ travel, leading to confusion and building collisions.
A campaign from the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and 16 other nature and wildlife groups asks residents to dim or fully extinguish artificial lights at night during bird migration seasons.
“Lights Out Oklahoma” suggests turning the switch from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The effort comes weeks after a nationwide analysis showed sweeping bird declines in grasslands. According to the 2025 State of the Birds report, at least a third of all bird species need quick conservation action to survive.
A simple action like turning out landscaping lights can benefit the declining species.
“Birds migrate using a variety of cues and magnetic field orientation, but also probably natural landmarks and even stars and other celestial bodies,” Scott Loss, ecologist and professor at Oklahoma State University, told StateImpact in March. “And there's really strong evidence that we know that bird migration orientation is disrupted by bright lights – they become confused, disoriented.”
The wildlife groups also encourage residents to avoid overhead lighting during the spring and fall, pointing to lamps and warm-hued lightbulbs as alternatives.
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