What birds don't see can't hurt them (as much)

Joe Levens, Special to the Star Tribune

A Cooper’s hawk left this impression when it hit a window. The Lights Out Twin Cities campaign is asking that buildings to shut off unnecessary lights during heavy bird-migration periods to reduce the number of birds that die when they crash into structures. Birds aren’t as drawn to dark buildings.

Last update: March 12, 2008 - 12:23 AM

Building owners in Minneapolis and St. Paul again are being asked to dim the lights as bird migration picks up.

In its second year, the Lights Out Twin Cities project is encouraging city, state and private building owners to turn off unnecessary lighting in spring and fall during peak migration hours.

The campaign begins Saturday and runs through the end of May from midnight until daylight (and Aug. 15-Oct. 31 in the fall).

The state Department of Natural Resources says the first year was "very successful," with 24 building owners joining in the effort to save birds.

Carrol Henderson, DNR nongame wildlife program supervisor, said that the reduced lighting helps because "many birds die preventable deaths as they collide with lighted buildings or are dazed by the lights and circle around until exhausted. Fewer birds are attracted to and suffer harm from darkened buildings."

Last year's participants included the 57-story Wells Fargo and 33-story Accenture buildings in Minneapolis.

The DNR noted that building owners also reporting energy savings. "One building reported more than $2,000 energy savings last year by turning their lights out at night during migration," the news release said.

Lights Out Twin Cities is a joint effort by Audubon Minnesota, the DNR's Nongame Wildlife Program, the Bell Museum of Natural History, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Bird Conservation Minnesota. Lights Out efforts in Toronto, Chicago and New York have a proven track record of saving migratory birds, the DNR said.

PAUL WALSH