"Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!" – The World Migratory Bird Day 2022 Slogan Announced!

Bonn, 25 February 2022 – “Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!” has been selected as the official slogan of the 2022 edition of the UN-backed global World Migratory Bird Day campaign. This year, the campaign’s focus is on the impacts of light pollution on migratory birds.  

With the two peak days of the campaign, the aim is to raise awareness around the issue in May and initiate concrete actions to tackle light pollution in October.  Best practice guidelines are currently being developed under the Convention on Migratory Species to address this growing issue and ensure that action is taken globally to help birds migrate safely.

Artificial light is increasing globally by at least 2 per cent per year and it is known to adversely affect many bird species. Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds, causing disorientation when they fly at night, leading to collisions with buildings, interfering with their internal clocks, or interfering with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations. 

Solutions to light pollution are readily available. For instance, more and more cities in the world are taking measures to dim building lights during migration phases in spring and autumn. Further information about the impacts of light pollution on migratory birds and steps one can take to address this issue will be made available on the WMBD website throughout the year. We encourage event organizers to start thinking of ways to incorporate the theme of light pollution and the slogan into their planned World Migratory Bird Day 2022 events and activities.

For more information and to register WMBD events please visit: www.worldmigratorybirdday.org