The parks themselves wouldn’t be such a bad stopover if it weren’t for the fact that they’re typically not big enough to rest and refuel an entire migrating flock for the next leg of their journey. The artificial lights surrounding cities also tend to draw migrating birds to urban parks. Instead of following magnetic lines to where they need to go, they circle the lights. Scientists knew that artificial light could confuse birds’ eyes, interfering with their ability to “see” the Earth’s north-south magnetic field. Andrews in Scotland were concerned about the effects that artificial light has on migratory birds. La Sorte (pictured here) of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and his colleagues there and at Colorado State University and the University of St. To make matters worse, our brightly lit nighttime cities are playing havoc with the environment, harming animals as different as sea turtles, frogs and toads, fish, bees, monarch butterflies and Atlantic salmon.įrank A.

And interfering with our natural day-night rhythms via artificial light has been linked to a surprising array of medical problems, including increased breast-cancer risk, sleep conditions, gastrointestinal illness, mood disorders and even cardiovascular disease. Contrary to popular belief, lighting up cities at night doesn’t seem to reduce crime rates.

In countless ways, artificial light has helped us be richer and more productive, turning night into day.

Download lights out for migrating birds