"Birds are drawn to lights, and more than a billion die each year after crashing into buildings, experts said."
"Nearly half a billion birds may soar across the United States in the next two weeks during their annual fall migration, prompting requests for residents to turn off or dim lights to help ensure their safe flight.
Hundreds of species of birds, such as blackpoll warblers, chimney swifts and scissor-tailed flycatchers, will fly from the Northern Hemisphere to South America for a warmer climate filled with more food, said Dylan Osterhaus, a postdoctoral research assistant at Purdue University who studies migratory birds.
“It’s always like Christmas morning, going out each morning and seeing what new presents arrived from the north,” he said."
Published Sept. 12, 2026Updated Sept. 13, 2026, 6:10 p.m. ET
Ishani Desai
Ishani Desai reports for the New York Times September 13, 2026.
