PROJECT SAFE PASSAGE GREAT LAKES

Each year 100,000,000 (one hundred million) to 1,000,000,000 (one billion) birds die during night migrations. Many small birds, such as warblers, wrens, vireos, thrushes and tanagers migrate at night on their way, either to their summer breeding grounds or to their wintering grounds. They face many hazards in both directions, and tall lighted buildings have been shown to be one of the most dangerous.

It is thought that the lights on tall buildings confuse the navigation systems of birds unlucky to have such buildings in their flight path. They circle the buildings repeatedly and either die of exhaustion or by colliding with the illuminated building. According to scientists at the Field Museum in Chicago, this mortality could be reduced by 80% if those lights were off.

The Detroit Audubon Society is going to request building organizations, government agencies and property owners to reduce the carnage by turning off lights in tall buildings from 11:00pm to dawn from the second weekend in March through May, and from the second weekend in August through October.

By turning out these lights, not only will the birds be spared, but also money and energy will be saved, and pollution will be reduced. It will be a win-win situation for building owners/operators and for the birds that will be able to continue their long migration flights with one major hazard removed.

The following buildings have agreed to implement Project Safe Passage Great Lakes by turning out their lights between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and Dawn during the fall and spring migration periods. It should be noted that certain lights may not be turned off due to circumstances beyond the control of the operators, such as code requirements or tenant rights.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan

Brewery Park

Buhl Building

Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit (BOMA)

City of Mt. Clemens

City of Southfield

Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center

Coleman A. Young Municipal Building
Detroit Opera Company

DTE Energy
Ford Motor Company

Macomb County Board of Commissioners
State of Michigan Government Buildings

Detroit is on a “roll”. May we add you to our Honor Roll? We look forward to hearing from you.