You may not think much of leaving a light or two on around your property at night, but with bird migration in full swing on the peninsula, it may be time to switch up some habits. This time of year, you’re advised to turn off non-essential lights around you by 11:00 PM, according to birdcast.info. Lights often attract and disorient, confuse, or exhaust birds, leading them vulnerable to collisions with buildings or other harmful threats that may exist in towns like cats. 

Door County and Kewaunee County are expected to see high-intensity bird migration over the weekend and are in a high lights out alert as a result. Program Director at Crossroads of Big Creek Coggin Heeringa says one way to reduce harm to birds and other species is pointing your artificial lights downward. 

Heeringa notes that while people may want lights outside their house for protection, a light with less environmental impact but equal effectiveness is a motion sensor light. She also explains how artificial light can be harmful to pollinators and insects. 

If you do need to use artificial light, it’s suggested that you use a yellow LED light. You can view the bird migration and lights out alert forecasts here.