Understanding and Advancing Improvements to Nighttime Lighting for the Benefit of Birds, Other Wildlife, and People
Research Location:
Implemented: USA
Conservation Partners:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Student Researcher
Alexandra Otto, Major BiologyFaculty Mentor
Dr. John SwaddleProject Description
Artificial lighting at night negatively affects bird populations in numerous ways, contributing to the rapid decline of bird species since 1970. Working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Migratory Bird Program, Ali Otto'27 is exploring the ways in which artificial lighting is affecting bird populations and will take a multidisciplinary approach to propose solutions to scale up efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of lighting on birds.
Recent research found that nearly three billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970 and many species populations are still in decline. One of the underlying drivers of bird declines is artificial lighting at night (lighting). Lighting negatively affects birds in multiple ways by causing them to avoid well-lit habitats essential for their survival, disrupting their circadian rhythms, altering their metabolism, altering predator-prey relationships, and disorienting and drawing migrating birds into well-lit areas, where they are at high risk for collision with buildings and infrastructure. People are also negatively affected by poor lighting which can increase safety risks and alter circadian rhythms, which has been linked to increased rates of some cancers.
Fortunately, the negative effects of lighting can be significantly reduced with low-cost solutions that have benefits for birds, other wildlife, as well as people. Much has been done to identify and promote lighting solutions, though poor lighting continues to increase at a rapid rate. What is needed is an understanding of what approaches have been most impactful in addressing the issue along with the development of effective and creative multidisciplinary approaches that can result in widespread adoption of lighting solutions. Working in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program, Ali explores the multi-disciplinary nature of this problem and will propose solutions to scale up efforts to mitigate the impacts of poor lighting on birds and humans.
