World Migratory Bird Day 2022 : Let There Be Darkness

You must have heard about dimming the lights to conserve energy, but have you ever thought about doing it for birds? “Dim the lights for birds at night” is the theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2022 which focuses on light pollution and its impacts on migratory birds.
More than 80% of the world’s population is estimated to live under a ‘lit sky’ today. In Europe and North America, this increases to about 99%. Artificial light is increasing by about 2% every year on this planet. According to an article published in Science Daily which studied the brightest areas of the Northeast US, scientists found more birds as they got closer to these cities.Since the sky glow of these cities was so strong, the birds could spot these lights till about s.
Apart from birds, light pollution wastes energy, disrupts human sleep, obstructs starlight and disturbs natural ecosystems.
Interestingly, preserving ‘natural darkness’ is just as important as preserving clean water, air and soil. There are patterns of light and darkness in Nature just like we have patterns of sleep and waking. Every year, light pollution kills millions of migratory birds and affects their migratory patterns, communication and quest for food. Especially while flying at lower altitudes, birds get attracted to artificial light at night, get disoriented and end up depleting their energy reserves when they should be crossing over a certain territory at that time. This also puts them at the mercy of predators and increases risks of collisions with buildings. Some nocturnally migrating birds include ducks, geese, plovers, sandpipers and songbirds. Sea birds like petrels and shearwaters get attracted to artificial light on land and fall prey to different predators. A recent study published by the American Ornithological Society estimates that between 100 million and 1 billion birds are every year because of collisions with buildings. In fact, birds vocalize more when they become disoriented which attracts more flocks to the light.
There are three major geographical areas(including breeding and non-breeding grounds) covered by migratory birds over the course of their annual cycle also known as flyways: (show route in map)
Americas Flyway - connects the high Arctic to the Tierra Del Fuego
African Eurasian Flyway - connects Europe and Central Asia to Tropical Africa
East Asian Australasian Flyway - connects palaearctic (comprising Europe, North Africa and Asia which is north of the Himalayas) with the Indian subcontinent and Arctic Russia/North America to New Zealand.
Apart from this there is the circumpolar flyway where birds migrate within the Arctic circle.
But, light pollution is not beyond repair. There are some solutions to mitigate light pollution and conserve our depleting variety of migratory birds. In 2020, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals recommended 6 principles to establish good lighting practices. The new guidelines will be recommended in 2023.
The considerations for these should be the main sources of light pollution in an area, the type of wildlife impacted and how close these areas are to migratory pathways. In many cities in North America business owners and residents are encouraged to put out unnecessary lights during migratory periods.
World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of May and October every year. There are two days earmarked for this to highlight the importance of the cyclical nature of bird migration as well as the fact that bird migration peaks are different in the southern and northern hemispheres.

[@chiranshutaneja]

In almost every video, Down To Earth comes up with something I have never heard of. Thanks to the DTE team for these wonderful videos.

[@D2E]

Wow, thank you!

[@AadityaDhangar]

Save nature, save life , save animals ❤️🙏

[@khushi3640]

It's time people be aware of their act which is affecting these beautiful creature that adorn our nature!

[@antkin608]

Thank you. 🙂 🙏

[@D2E]

Welcome!

[@vipinsainijsw]

Thank you for this lecture..its very help today...

[@D2E]

Glad to hear that!

[@harsimran1]

Nice to know I'm not better than a bird, as I also get attracted to artificial light and fall prey to the charms of the Cities.

[@akashdutta4738]

very informative one , its new information for me that light pollution also exists!

[@D2E]

Yes it is a lesser known form of pollution.

[@anandapatmanabhansu]

Thankyou sir

[@bharathbhuvan570]

Nice effort and enlightening topics

[@D2E]

Thanks a lot!

[@lauralindsay319]

Thank you so much for spreading this information. We are not the only ones to have this planet as our home, we should think of every impact our actions actions have and this is a perfect example 💙💚🌎💚💙

[@D2E]

Well said!

[@sakhavintesakhii]

love your voice....❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@D2E]

Thanks!

[@Max-bw3xs]

Oh my God.. I never had such thought before and first time I have heard the term light pollution .....where we are going?

[@ashwiniramu7625]

Great information

[@D2E]

Glad it was helpful!

[@heerasingh1723]

great information

[@D2E]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anandapatmanabhansu]

We will share to everyone sir

[@D2E]

Thank you, please do!

[@praveenaprakash6563]

🕊❤❤

[@bavinash772]

Thanks for such a informative yet unique points. Chilika is known as Flyway destination of Eastern Asia flyway, but not sure about Australia.

[@D2E]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mayanktiwari682]

Thanks DTE team... Can you make a video on carbon credits and how they operate 🙏🙏🙏

[@MelB868]

I live in the country so it’s pretty dark here at night we don’t even have street lights

[@srmchinni3]

Truth

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Those migration path through the Mediterranean see a lot of birds trapped and eaten, or just shot for 'sport'.

[@zeepar1245]

It's unfortunate how human convenience has been a catastrophe for every other species.