If you spend time outside in Atlantic Beach during late winter and early spring, you can hear it before you see it.
The sharp, chattering calls of American robins drift overhead as flocks move through the neighborhood. Sometimes they arrive in waves, joined by cedar waxwings, moving from yard to yard in search of berries. They pause to feast on fruit from native plants like beautyberry, yaupon holly and other berry-producing trees and shrubs before continuing their long journey north.
For many residents, these seasonal visitors are a familiar and welcome sign that migration is underway.
Now, the City of Atlantic Beach is taking a step to help ensure those birds complete their journeys safely.
Mayor Curtis Ford recently signed a proclamation designating March 15 to May 15 and Sept. 15 to Nov. 15 as Lights Out Atlantic Beach Nights. During these peak migration periods, residents and businesses are encouraged to turn off non-essential lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to help migratory birds safely navigate the night sky.
Atlantic Beach sits along the Atlantic flyway, one of North America’s major migration corridors. Each spring and fall, millions of birds pass through Northeast Florida, many flying at night and relying on the moon and stars to guide them. Artificial lighting can disrupt this natural navigation system, causing birds to become disoriented, exhausted or collide with buildings.
“Reducing unnecessary lighting during migration is one of the simplest and most effective actions communities can take to protect birds,” said Elizabeth Filippelli of the Duval Audubon Society, a leader in the regional Lights Out Northeast Florida initiative. “Across Northeast Florida, communities are beginning to recognize that small changes can make a real difference for migrating birds.”
Atlantic Beach joins the City of Jacksonville, which adopted a similar proclamation in 2025, as part of a growing regional effort to reduce light pollution during migration seasons.
“In Atlantic Beach, our identity is deeply tied to the health of our maritime forest and coastal environment,” said Interim City Manager Kevin Hogencamp. “By formalizing Lights Out nights, the City is taking a common-sense, high-impact step to protect the millions of birds that rely on our canopy as a vital stopover. It’s a small adjustment to our nightly routines that reflects our long-standing collective commitment to environmental stewardship.”
For Atlantic Beach resident Amy Franqui, a member of the city’s Environmental Stewardship Committee, the migration is something she witnesses each year in her own neighborhood.
“Watching these birds move through our community reminds you that we’re part of something much bigger,” Franqui said. “Our yards, our trees and even our nighttime lighting choices all play a role in whether these birds can safely continue their journey. Knowing that simply turning off unnecessary lights can help protect birds traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles makes me proud that Atlantic Beach is stepping up to be part of the solution.”
The Lights Out effort also reflects a broader commitment within the community to protect local wildlife and coastal ecosystems. From planting native trees and shrubs that provide food for birds to preserving the maritime forest canopy that defines the character of Atlantic Beach, residents and city leaders alike have increasingly embraced stewardship of the natural environment.
Residents and businesses can support the Lights Out initiative by:
The initiative will also be highlighted at the Environmental Stewardship Committee’s upcoming Speaker Series event ay 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in the City of Atlantic Beach Chambers, where Filippelli will share insights on bird migration and practical ways residents can make their homes and neighborhoods safer for birds.
As the robins and waxwings continue their seasonal journeys overhead, they represent just a small glimpse of the many migratory birds traveling through Northeast Florida each year. From warblers and thrushes to tanagers and buntings, millions of birds pass through the Atlantic flyway under the cover of darkness.
By dimming the lights during migration season, Atlantic Beach hopes more residents will look up, listen and take pride in helping these travelers safely reach their destinations.
