In a few days, two beams will illuminate the Manhattan sky in a tribute to those killed in the September 11 attacks. But the blazing columns of light also attract thousands of migratory birds, causing them to veer off course. They become trapped and disoriented, circling the spotlights until they are switched off.
New York can be a deadly place for birds. Each year, songbirds, hummingbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey cross the city on their way to and from breeding and wintering grounds across the western hemisphere. And each year, sanitation workers sweep the streets of carcasses after up to a quarter of a million birds collide with buildings.
