"Lights Out" Chicago Save Birds

As reported in this article in the Spring 2002 issue of Chicago Wilderness magazine, the number of birds killed by striking buildings in downtown Chicago was reduced by about 80 percent after building managers started turning out their lights at night during the spring and fall migration. This action was taken by members of the Building Owners and Managers Association at the urging of Mayor Daley's Wildlife and Nature Committee and the City of Chicago Department of the Environment, and is a direct consequence of the Urban Bird Treaty signed by the Mayor in late March 2000. This is proof positive that the Urban Bird Treaty produces beneficial results for migratory birds. Chicago is the latest in a growing number of cities in Canada and the United States that have adopted the light reduction measures promoted by FLAP (the Fatal Light Awareness Program), with positive results for night-migrating birds.