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It's peak bird migration season, and Houston Audubon is reminding residents to turn off non-essential lights and close curtains and blinds from 11pm to 6am.
Why it matters: Houston sits along a key migratory flyway where millions of birds pass through each fall.
Most migrate at night, and bright city lights can disorient them, pulling them from their high-altitude routes.
Threat level: Collisions with buildings caused by artificial lighting kill between 100 million and 1 billion birds each year in the U.S.
What they're saying:Houston Audubon says it's important to keep unnecessary lights off during the migratory period, but it's especially critical on nights when forecasts predict high bird activity.
State of play: Fall migration runs through November, with the peak from September through October.
BirdCast forecasts around 27,000 birds per kilometer tonight in Houston — a "high" migration night.
You can sign up for BirdCast alerts to see when migration activity is expected to be high in your area.
