Chicago is an amazing city, with an incredible shoreline but it’s not a happy place for many birds during the migration season.

The problem in Chicago

Every year, 6,000 birds die in one square mile area of downtown Chicago.   Why?

Well, Chicago sits in the middle of one of the busiest areas for bird migration.   Twice a year, 5 million birds fly through this course twice a year. 

They are exhausted by the time they reach Chicago. And that’s when they really hit a problem – literally.

Up to ONE BILLION migratory birds die every year, colliding with skyscrapers.  

Birds use the stars to point them in the right direction.  That means the problem is worse at night, when tall skyscrapers are lit up all night – that confuses and disorients the birds.  And they crash into the buildings.

The solution in Chicago

It's easy!  All it needs is for buildings to turn off their lights after 11pm during the migratory season.

Chicago already “encourages” buildings to switch their lights off, but encouragement isn’t enough.  To save birds, the Lights Out policy needs to be mandatory.

How you can help with this solution

Care2.com have a petition telling Chicago city officials to require buildings to shut the lights off at night during bird migratory season.  (It’s hardly environmentally friendly to keep the lights on, anyway.)

Sign the petition to get these lights switched off in Chicago.