Living Lightly: Lights Out!
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle
By John L. Turner

Recent research has documented that birds are attracted to, but often disoriented by, outdoor lighting. There are many instances of migrating birds flying over suburban and urban areas becoming entrained in these areas, attracted by the glow of countless buildings and street lights. Unfortunately, this often leads to fatal consequences for birds as they collide with the windows that adorn so many modern urban and suburban buildings.
The death of more than one thousand birds flying into the glass facade of McCormick Place in Chicago in October of last year is a stark reminder of the danger that excessive lighting can pose to birds.
What can you do as a home or business owner? Very simple and straightforward — shut off excessive outdoor lighting to reduce your contribution to the upward glow that negatively affects birds. Before you automatically throw on the light switch controlling the outdoor lights give a thought about the birds flying overhead during their winged journeys.
A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.