Kill the Lights, Not the Birds
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH APRIL 28, 2015
A goldfinch in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.Credit Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times
As many as a billion birds die each year in this country as they attempt to follow their seasonal routes — flying north in summer months, south in winter. Because many songbirds, sea birds, and other avians rely on stars to navigate, they grow confused by artificial lights. As a result, these birds die in droves as their ancient routes are interrupted by tall, brightly lit, glass buildings.
We can’t unplug the nation for the birds, of course. But bird lovers in New York can celebrate another conversion in their intrepid campaign to dim non-essential lights during the bird migration seasons. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York promised on Monday to begin right away turning off excess lights in state buildings from midnight until dawn as the birds fly across his state.
Mr. Cuomo said state buildings will shut down extra lighting from April 15 through May 31, when birds come to the northeast to breed, and from August 15 through Nov. 15 when they head for softer climates as far away as the Caribbean. He called it “a simple step to help protect these migrating birds that make their home in New York’s forest, lakes and rivers.”
Erin Crotty, executive director for Audubon New York, says this modest change is more than that. “It is critically important from a conservation perspective,” she said. Besides being a source of joy for many people, birds are a vital part of our agriculture and our ecosystem. As Ms. Crotty puts it, “When birds thrive, people prosper.”
Birds are starting to gain more human supporters.
As many as a billion birds die each year in this country as they attempt to follow their seasonal routes — flying north in summer months, south in winter. Because many songbirds, sea birds, and other avians rely on stars to navigate, they grow confused by artificial lights. As a result, these birds die in droves as their ancient routes are interrupted by tall, brightly lit, glass buildings.
We can’t unplug the nation for the birds, of course. But bird lovers in New York can celebrate another conversion in their intrepid campaign to dim non-essential lights during the bird migration seasons. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York promised on Monday to begin right away turning off excess lights in state buildings from midnight until dawn as the birds fly across his state.
Mr. Cuomo said state buildings will shut down extra lighting from April 15 through May 31, when birds come to the northeast to breed, and from August 15 through Nov. 15 when they head for softer climates as far away as the Caribbean. He called it “a simple step to help protect these migrating birds that make their home in New York’s forest, lakes and rivers.”
Erin Crotty, executive director for Audubon New York, says this modest change is more than that. “It is critically important from a conservation perspective,” she said. Besides being a source of joy for many people, birds are a vital part of our agriculture and our ecosystem. As Ms. Crotty puts it, “When birds thrive, people prosper.”
Birds are starting to gain more human supporters.
In Chicago, about 100 downtown buildings now go dark in migration seasons. Minnesota has started turning out lights in state buildings.
In New York City, the Empire State Building has been shutting down decorative lights for decades to save the birds.
Other city landlords joined the lights-out program for skyscrapers almost 10 years ago.
Many of the city’s most famous towers like the Chrysler Building and the Time Warner towers now shut down non-essential lights after midnight.
It saves birds, and, of course, electricity.
Bright lights once helped define human success, a triumph over the limits and perils of nighttime. Now we know that dimming those lights can mean a different kind of success — the survival of thousands and thousands of migrating birds.
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FEATURED POSTS, ANIMAL MIGRATION,BIRDS, CARIBBEAN AREA, CHICAGO (ILL),CUOMO, ANDREW M, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK STATE
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Anna North writes on cultural topics for the editorial page and is the editor of this blog.
Follow @annanorthtweets on Twitter
Link: http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/kill-the-lights-not-the-birds/?emc=edit_ty_20150429&nl=opinion&nlid=59725256&_r=0
Bright lights once helped define human success, a triumph over the limits and perils of nighttime. Now we know that dimming those lights can mean a different kind of success — the survival of thousands and thousands of migrating birds.
SHARE
FEATURED POSTS, ANIMAL MIGRATION,BIRDS, CARIBBEAN AREA, CHICAGO (ILL),CUOMO, ANDREW M, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK STATE
ABOUT
Anna North writes on cultural topics for the editorial page and is the editor of this blog.
Follow @annanorthtweets on Twitter
Link: http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/kill-the-lights-not-the-birds/?emc=edit_ty_20150429&nl=opinion&nlid=59725256&_r=0
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