[BCNnet] Doug Stotz article in Discover magazine

[Alan Anderson]

thought this would be of interest to BCNnet subscribers

Alan Anderson,  casresearch@attbi.com , Des Plaines, IL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy Pals" <rjpals@ATTBI.COM>
To: <IN-BIRD-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 9:00 PM
Subject: [IN-BIRD-L] Bird/Window Collisions


> The latest (Aug. 2002) Discover magazine has a short
> (1/3 page) article about birds colliding with lit windows
> in Chicago.  The info came from Doug Stotz, a conservation
> ecologist at the Chicago Field Museum.  Apparently he
> and his colleagues counted the number of birds that hit
> McCormick Place over the past 2 years.  1,297 birds
> hit lit windows, only 192 hit dark windows.  He is suggesting
> that skyscrapers (and presumably lakefront buildings) turn
> out their lights from 11 p.m. until dawn during migration
> seasons.
> 
> The article had pictures and a list of the top ten species
> that were crash victims: Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
> Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush,
> Fox Sparrow, Ovenbird, Tree Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow,
> and Tennessee Warbler.
> 
> The article may be available on their website, www.Discover.com,
> in the near future.  The July issue is still posted as the current issue
> on the website.  Or, try the magazine.  I like it a lot and have
> subscribed for many years.
> 
> Randy Pals
> Chesterton, IN

and one reply:

 > He is suggesting that skyscrapers (and presumably lakefront buildings)
turn out their lights from 11 p.m. until dawn during migration seasons.

Yes, they have been suggesting that in Chicago since at least ~1990, when a
building with a huge 'wedding cake' light - a ~3-story atrium consisting of
nothing but blazingly-lit windows - was built there.   It was the brightest
object in the whole downtown.  I was told that the Audubon society managed
to convince the management of the building to turn the light off late at
night.  Only I don't know if they're still doing it.

It was rather alienating to be in grad school there, at U of I
Chicago.  Working late, from the doorway of the biology building I could
see this huge light blazing over the empty Loop.  Then I could turn around
and see that every light switch in our lab had a little sticker saying,
"turn lights off to save energy!".   The light bill for that building
probably would have paid my entire grad stipend.

I would be interested to know what is going on now, as I left in
1994.    During migration I remember finding a dead rail in the street by
campus and a woodcock who ran into a building.

Liz Day
Indianapolis