New York City Dim Lights To Help Migratory Birds
Posted on 03. Sep, 2010 by Dahlia Lithwick in Business, Headlines, Science, World
New York City Dim Lights To Help Migratory Birds – An increasing number of New York sky-scrapers are turning off their lights to help decrease the number of birds hitting the high-rise buildings. The New York City Audubon organized the “lights out” project that runs until 1 November, until migratory birds are expected to have completed their autumn migrations. Among those buildings dimming their lights are The Empire and Chrysler buildings.
As a result of striking glass-fronted buildings, an estimated 90,000 birds every year are killed in the city. The “light-out” project is now in its fifth year. The bright lights disorientate the migrating birds and override their natural navigational cues.
NYC Audubon is a group that works to protect wild birds and their habitats within the city. It is calling on owners and tenants in high-rise buildings to switch off lights on unoccupied floors or unused space between midnight and dawn. Furthermore, it is also requesting late workers to draw blinds or use desk lamps instead of using ceiling-mounted lighting.
The findings of a study at Chicago’s Field Museum showed the number of birds killed by striking the building at night fell by 83 percent when the lights were turned off at night. Even though there is no direct evidence, anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that at night, particularly in foggy or rainy weather, birds fly at lower altitudes, making them more vulnerable to flying into well-lit, glass-fronted high buildings.