The country's most famous city skylines will be going dark this summer, and for good reason

Major cities around the country are going to lose their shine at night for the next few months, but it's not a planned power outage. The beautiful skylines of America's biggest urban centers are willingly switching off the lights for a good reason: to help millions of our feathered friends safely travel home. It's a nationwide initiative called Lights Out, and it's designed to make annual bird migrations safer.

What is the Lights Out program?

The Lights Out program is a conservation campaign organized by the National Audubon Society in partnership with local leadership. It encourages high-rise property owners, commercial businesses and everyday residents to turn off or dim non-essential interior and exterior lighting during peak bird migration seasons.

What is the purpose of the Lights Out program?

Every year, billions of birds navigate the night sky during migration. Bright city lights and artificial glow disorient these weary travelers, causing them to circle skyscrapers until they collapse from exhaustion or crash into glass windows. Dimming the lights helps birds pass through urban centers unharmed, with the added bonus of saving energy and lowering utility bills.

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When does the program run?

The national program operates every night during peak spring and fall migration windows, specifically from 11pm until sunrise.

What cities are participating in the Lights Out program?

The movement launched in Toronto in 1993 with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), and Chicago became the first U.S. city to jump on board in 1999. Today, dozens of North American cities participate, including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York City.

New York is taking the idea a step further with the proposed New York State Dark Skies Protection Act. If passed, this legislation would establish statewide outdoor lighting standards—requiring fixtures to direct light downward to curb light pollution after 11pm year-round, not just during migration months.

How can residents and businesses participate in the Lights Out program?

Helping out is as easy as flipping a switch.

• Turn off decorative facade lighting, extinguish floodlights, and down-shield outdoor fixtures to stop upward glare.
• Shut off interior lights on higher floors, dim atrium lighting, or pull blinds and shades late at night.
• Switch to task lighting for late-night office workers and install automatic motion sensors so lights only turn on when actually needed.

Find more info on the program and how to participate on the Audubon Society website.