Reducing Bird Deaths by Turning off Lights during Migration

Especially on foggy or rainy nights when the cloud cover is low, birds fly at lower altitudes and are more likely to be disoriented by city lights. They may be pulled down into downtown mazes, where they often collide with buildings. Also dangerous are floodlights, lighthouses, and airport ceilometers (light beams for measuring cloud altitude). Once birds are attracted to a light source, they tend not to leave it, and may become trapped until they die. The City of Toronto used to have a program to turn off lights in city buildings at night during migration seasons, in order to reduce energy costs and reduce bird deaths. This program has fallen into disuse. Corporate Real Estate Management agrees that it should be resumed.