New Green Lights May Stop Bird Strikes on Offshore Platforms

Lights on oil drilling rigs attract birds migrating at night in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: NASA

Land birds migrating at sea during inclement weather frequently become disoriented and are attracted to the lights of offshore oil platforms. In the Gulf of Mexico, a 2005 study showed that as many as 300,000 birds die in collisions with pipes and wires on rigs each year. These deaths could be avoided if it were possible to develop lighting that did not attract birds. Studies indicate that it is the red portion of the spectrum that most attracts and disorients birds. Hence, red or white lighting is disruptive, while blue or green light is much less so.

A Dutch petroleum company has teamed up with Phillips Electronic to develop a new light bulb with a greenish light that provides good visibility for workers, yet apparently does not attract birds. The lighting system is currently being tried on one major platform in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. More scientific results will be available after this year’s fall migration to quantify the reduction in birds landing on the platform. More than 380 floodlights have been changed to the new green lights, and far fewer disoriented birds have been observed so far.

“This is a good example of how different industrial organizations can jointly solve an environmental problem,” said Michael Fry, ABC’s Director of Conservation Advocacy. “More research is needed to see if these lights really work, and whether or not they can be applied to other uses, such as lighting on communications towers, that also threaten millions of birds.”