“Lights Out Cleveland” Hopes To Save Migratory Birds With The Flip Of A Light Switch

“Lights Out Cleveland” Hopes To Save Migratory Birds With The Flip Of A Light Switch

Every spring and fall, millions of birds migrate over Ohio but they face a threat along their way — nighttime collisions with brightly lit buildings that leave birds either injured or dead. Tim Jasinski’s group of volunteers is just one aspect of Lights Out Cleveland — the other? Convincing building owners to flip the switch, overnight.

Good Samaritans rescue hundreds of stricken songbirds from downtown sidewalks

Good Samaritans rescue hundreds of stricken songbirds from downtown sidewalks

In the predawn darkness on a steamy mid-September morning, hours before the downtown sidewalks bustle with commuters, a dozen people carrying butterfly nets gather on East 6th Street beside the Drury Plaza Hotel. They discuss their game plan as the chip calls of migrating thrush and warblers serenade them overhead. Unfortunately, many of these songbirds will not survive the overnight flight they have made across Lake Erie.