Frequently Asked Question

Artificial lighting is a form of environmental pollution and is very disruptive to wildlife because it changes the normal situation and day-lengths to which wild animals and plants have evolved.

Artificial lighting, especially at night, can affect wildlife in the following ways:

• Nocturnal insects navigate by light and the presence of artificial lights can confuse them, increasing the risk of predation. This brings down the number of moths in an ecosystem that can act as early pollinators.
• Even for diurnal (daytime) wildlife, the presence of artificial lighting at night has a negative impact on their circadian rhythms and can result in a decline in species due to them being tired and confused.
• Owls find it harder to hunt in lit areas, and struggle to feed because the presence of artificial lighting has a detrimental impact on their night vision.
• Bat species may enjoy the insects drawn to artificial lighting (see above), but bringing them into the light makes them easier targets for predators, which threatens their numbers. Artificial lighting also reduces the dusk and dawn period for bats, which is when they feed.
• Security lights can cause temporary blindness in animals and also attract some where they would normally not be present, taking them out of their natural habitat.
• Wildlife can be fearful of lighting, and it can create a barrier for them, fragmenting landscapes and isolating them from their homes or hunting/feeding ground.
• Birds disturbed by artificial light can begin singing before dawn and become disoriented, particularly garden birds like robins.
• Many invertebrates rely on the natural passage of day/night to know when to feed, hunt, lay etc. and, as a very early part of the food chain, this impact is significant.

If you would like any further information, please get in touch with our offices.