In 2002 Hunsinger founded the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors to raise awareness about bird collisions and also to collect dead and injured birds off the city’s streets (see “ Pain in the Glass,” November-December 2008). In fall 2001 Robbie Hunsinger, a freelance oboist turned bird advocate, attended a presentation in Chicago by the director of FLAP and immediately determined that she would do something about bird collisions and buildings. Lights Out programs began to get popular in the United States about a decade ago. “It saves bird lives and also promotes energy conservation.” “There are multiple reasons why Lights Out programs are valuable,” says Don Gorney, program manager for Lights Out Indianapolis. Participation is voluntary, and Lights Out programs usually focus on getting buildings to take part between midnight and sunrise for several months a year during spring and fall migration, when the bulk of migrating birds are passing through. Toronto’s Bird Friendly Guidelines, for example, suggest using reflection-free glass and visual markers on buildings and outline how to use lights to optimize bird safety. Many cities also provide online resources for bird-friendly and sustainable development. The programs vary, but they’re typically a collaboration between an Audubon chapter and local partners and involve convincing building managers and owners to join in by educating them about the benefits. Today, as the movement has picked up significant momentum, more than 20 North American metropolitan areas-ranging from major cities like Washington, D.C., to smaller ones like Winston-Salem, North Carolina-participate in similar programs. About a decade later Chicago became the first U.S.

In 1991 Toronto became the world’s first city to address urban bird collisions when it launched the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP). In response, Audubon and its partners have organized Lights Out campaigns, urging buildings to hit the off-switch at night for bird safety. The result is horrific: more than 100 million bird deaths in North America annually, and as many as 1,000 bird deaths per major structure, reports Massachusetts Audubon.

Mostly flying at altitudes below 2,000 feet, and even lower on foggy and rainy nights, they often become disoriented by brightly lit windows in tall buildings. Many birds, particularly songbirds, migrate at night, navigating by the moon and stars.

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