Houstonians aren’t the only ones mapping out spring trips. Each year, billions of birds are trekking north, and in a collective effort to prevent fatal window collisions, many Texas skyscrapers are dimming their lights to ensure these travelers enjoy a safe passage.
While we take pride in Texas being anything but a “flyover state,” the avian world begs to differ. According to the BBC, roughly two billion birds—representing one in three migrating birds in the U.S.—pass through the Lone Star State in search of food and nesting grounds.
So, why has Texas become such a high-traffic corridor? It all comes down to geography. The state sits directly at the intersection of the Mississippi and Central Americas Flyways, two of the most significant north-south migratory routes in the Western Hemisphere.
Fierce storms, heavy fog, and predators all pose risks, but light pollution has emerged as one of the most dangerous. According to the BBC, between 365 million and one billion birds perish annually after colliding with buildings in the United States.
Artificial light disorientates the birds. Since many species migrate at night using the stars to navigate, the glow of our cities can pull them off course and lead to fatal confusion.
In response to a tragic mass-collision event at a Galveston building, the conservation group Houston Audubon partnered with the American National Insurance Company to launch a protective campaign.
This local effort eventually blossomed into the statewide “Lights Out, Texas!” initiative. The program encourages owners of skyscrapers and convention centers to switch off non-essential interior and exterior lighting between 11 pm and 6 am during the critical spring (March–June) and fall (August–November) windows.
Houston entities participating in Lights Out, Texas include the following:
- Williams Tower
- 200 Park Place
- Lyric Center
- JPMorgan Chase Tower
- George Observatory
- Texas Tower
- City of Galveston
- American National Insurance Company
- Trees for Houston Headquarters Building
- HARC Headquarters
- One Memorial City Plaza
- Two Memorial City Plaza
- Three Memorial City Plaza
- Memorial City Place
- 1100 Louisiana
- 1415 Louisiana
- 3050 Post Oak
- 601 Travis
- 609 Main
- 717 Texas
- 811 Louisiana
- 9807 Katy Freeway
- 9811 Katy Freeway
- 9805 Katy Freeway
- 920 Memorial City Way
- 9753 Katy Freeway
- 945 Bunker Hill
- 811 Main
- 910 Louisiana
- 1717 W Loop S
- 16285 Park Ten Place
- 16290 Katy Freeway
- 929 Gessner
- 10100 Katy Freeway
- 2229 San Felipe St
- 2800 Post Oak Blvd
- 4200 Westheimer Rd.
If you want to get involved in this wonderful initiative, simply shut off your non-essential lights between 11 pm and 6 am from now until May 12. Houstonians can also limit landscape lighting and close blinds at night to reduce light emittance.
