6 Beautiful and Bird-Friendly Garden Lighting Ideas
Help reduce light pollution in your outdoor area with these six downlighting and dark sky practices
Lights in the landscape create light pollution that adversely affects nocturnal animals and birds. Many animals rely on darkness as part of their habitat and behavior, and lights at night can disrupt their natural cycles. A concept called dark sky lighting is a movement to reduce light pollution produced by cities in order to protect wildlife and to create more visible stars in the night sky. You can play a part in reducing light pollution by using recommended fixtures for wildlife friendliness and designing your lighting with care.
2. Use fixtures that are designed to decrease light pollution
This image shows another type of downlight fixture. The light is spread onto the wall and patio below. Additionally, these lights are well-placed because they are under the porch overhang, which lights the entrance but helps prevent more light from escaping into the sky.
Fixtures with hoods and shields help direct light onto the surfaces where it’s needed and eliminate light from being cast where it’s not necessary.
This image shows another type of downlight fixture. The light is spread onto the wall and patio below. Additionally, these lights are well-placed because they are under the porch overhang, which lights the entrance but helps prevent more light from escaping into the sky.
Fixtures with hoods and shields help direct light onto the surfaces where it’s needed and eliminate light from being cast where it’s not necessary.
Need a pro for your landscape design project?
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
3. Reduce glare
Glare is simply light that is too bright or strong to be visually pleasing. Glare is caused by high-voltage lights, improperly angled lights and light fittings without shields. All of these can be addressed by using lights with lower voltage and intensity, angling lights downward instead of out into a person’s eye level and shielding lights to have a more focused light cast. The birds and your neighbours will both benefit.
Need expert help designing your outdoor lighting scheme? Find a lighting specialist near you
Glare is simply light that is too bright or strong to be visually pleasing. Glare is caused by high-voltage lights, improperly angled lights and light fittings without shields. All of these can be addressed by using lights with lower voltage and intensity, angling lights downward instead of out into a person’s eye level and shielding lights to have a more focused light cast. The birds and your neighbours will both benefit.
Need expert help designing your outdoor lighting scheme? Find a lighting specialist near you
4. Eliminate wasteful lights
Spotlights and uplights are some of the most harmful light sources around the home because they are often high-glare intense lights that cast a very broad light. Look at your current lights to see if they can be changed to more wildlife-friendly fixtures or eliminated altogether. In the image here, an outdoor deck area is subtly lighted with just a few downcast fixtures and integrated strip lights.
Spotlights and uplights are some of the most harmful light sources around the home because they are often high-glare intense lights that cast a very broad light. Look at your current lights to see if they can be changed to more wildlife-friendly fixtures or eliminated altogether. In the image here, an outdoor deck area is subtly lighted with just a few downcast fixtures and integrated strip lights.
5. Light selectively
Be mindful of how you are lighting your landscape. Light with intention by selecting only the most important parts of the landscape to illuminate.
Take it a step further by having those lights set on a timer or motion sensor so they only switch on when needed. And if you don’t have your outdoor lighting set on a timer, remember to turn them off when you’ve finished using them.
Browse more beautifully designed Australian gardens
Be mindful of how you are lighting your landscape. Light with intention by selecting only the most important parts of the landscape to illuminate.
Take it a step further by having those lights set on a timer or motion sensor so they only switch on when needed. And if you don’t have your outdoor lighting set on a timer, remember to turn them off when you’ve finished using them.
Browse more beautifully designed Australian gardens
6. Use warm light hues
Opt for warm-coloured lights instead of cool colours. Warm tones in the pink-orange spectrum are better for nocturnal animals than lights in a cool or blue tone. Warm lights, as opposed to cool ones, also help to decrease sky glow – an effect seen in cities where the halo of light from the urban area prevents us from seeing any stars.
Low-pressure sodium lights are the best to use for sensitive coastal areas with animals such as sea turtles or in any other region where wildlife is easily disrupted by light pollution.
Opt for warm-coloured lights instead of cool colours. Warm tones in the pink-orange spectrum are better for nocturnal animals than lights in a cool or blue tone. Warm lights, as opposed to cool ones, also help to decrease sky glow – an effect seen in cities where the halo of light from the urban area prevents us from seeing any stars.
Low-pressure sodium lights are the best to use for sensitive coastal areas with animals such as sea turtles or in any other region where wildlife is easily disrupted by light pollution.
Your turn
How have you designed your outdoor lighting scheme? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Redesigning your garden? Read Spend & Save: Where to Put Your Money When Planning Your Outdoors
How have you designed your outdoor lighting scheme? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Redesigning your garden? Read Spend & Save: Where to Put Your Money When Planning Your Outdoors
A major culprit of light pollution is lights that are unnecessarily pointed upward – called uplighting – to illuminate trees and buildings. This sends light pollution directly into the trees and sky.
A more efficient and environmentally sensitive way to light your garden or landscape is with downlighting. Downlights cast light from above to below. In the image here, light fixtures are positioned in the roof overhang and cast light down onto the building’s facade.