Toronto urges residents to cut night lights to save millions of migratory birds

Toronto is dimming its lights to help save migrating birds. Turning off unnecessary lights at night can help prevent fatal window collisions this spring.

This spring, Toronto is flipping the switch — literally — in an effort to save more than 25 million birds.

With millions of migratory birds expected to pass through the city this season, the City of Toronto is asking residents and businesses to turn off unnecessary lights at night to prevent fatal window collisions.

The Lights Out Toronto campaign, which runs during migration seasons from mid-March to early June and mid-August to early November, is aiming to make the city a safer stopover for birds.

“Night-migrating birds are drawn by city lights into urban areas where they often fatally collide with building windows that they cannot see,” the campaign warns.

Toronto sits on a major bird migration route along Lake Ontario, making it a prime rest stop. But, according to the Government of Canada website, window collisions kill 16 to 42 million birds each year from flying into windows.

The bright lights in urban areas are harmless to us but can be fatal to these feathered animals, according to the city.

However, there is a simple and effective fix.

Reducing light pollution is one of the easiest ways Torontonians can help.