Out Philly News Today

Migrations are not limited to a herd of wildebeest or zebras galloping across the African plains. Scientists are still stumped by things that are not

A new avian-friendly program aimed at protecting bird local populations during their spring migratory period is taking off in Philadelphia with the hopes of being applied elsewhere in order to combat a mostly invisible problem impacting the ecological systems surrounding major cities across...

Migrating birds are dying by the billions as they lose their way and smash into lit buildings at night. Big cities like Philadelphia are turning out the lights to try and help save them.

Universal Images Group via Getty Nearly twenty buildings in Philadelphia are dimming their lights this spring after thousands of birds perished in the city’s largest mass collision in recent history. The voluntary measure has been coordinated by “Bird Safe Philly” and continues until May 30 with the purpose of sparing the lives of some of the 100 million birds passing over the City of Brotherly Love on their semiannual migrations. To some, it might seem more intuitive to leave the lights ...

Species most commonly killed during these events are ovenbirds, common yellowthroats, white-throated sparrows, black-throated blue warblers and gray catbirds. The Audubon Society called last years event Philadelphias largest mass collision in 70 years. When they occur at that scale, there are often confounding weather patterns that further reduce visibility and confuse migrating birds, who are especially prone to reflections in windows. Notable buildings participating in Lights Out Philly inc...