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Portugal island dims lights to save seabirds; 30,000 rescued since 2015

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The conservation effort originated on the island of Corvo in 1991 before growing into the regional SOS Cagarro initiative four years later. During annual peak fledging periods, towns switch off public lighting for specific overnight windows while search teams secure fallen birds in cardboard boxes. Research suggests artificial lighting accounts for the vast majority of local seabird groundings, driving near-unanimous public cooperation for the dimming measures.

Key points

  • Turning off urban illumination prevents young seabirds from confusing artificial glare wi…: Turning off urban illumination prevents young seabirds from confusing artificial glare with natural nocturnal navigation cues.
  • High community involvement enables successful overnight rescues and next-day cliff releas…: High community involvement enables successful overnight rescues and next-day cliff releases for disoriented fledglings.
  • Regional initiatives demonstrate that scheduled light-reduction policies provide an effec…: Regional initiatives demonstrate that scheduled light-reduction policies provide an effective and accessible blueprint for wildlife protection worldwide.

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Imagine an entire island voluntarily turning off its lights, allowing the night sky to guide thousands of young birds towards the ocean. On Corvo, the smallest and northernmost island of Portugal’s Azores archipelago, darkness is not a sign of inactivity but an important conservation effort. Every autumn, residents come together to reduce artificial lighting, giving young seabirds a better chance of completing their first journey out to sea. What began as a small community-led rescue initiative has evolved into a wider conservation movement, demonstrating how simple changes in everyday life can make a significant difference to wildlife.

A blackout with a purpose

Home to approximately 450 residents, Corvo has been working to protect Cory’s shearwaters since 1991, when locals began noticing large numbers of young birds dying after leaving their nests. According to The Guardian, these seabirds spend around three months in their nests before attempting their first flight towards the Atlantic Ocean. They follow natural light and the night sky, but street and building light can confuse them and draw them toward populated areas.

Disoriented birds often hit buildings…

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