FAA Makes Simple Changes to Save Birds

If you are one of the many pilots who enjoy night flying, you may see some changes in the lighting that helps you see towers and obstructions in low-light conditions.

A slight revision in the lighting patterns at towers around the country has the potential to save the lives of thousands of birds, the FAA says. Research by wildlife biologists has concluded that birds are particularly attracted to steady white and red lights, much more so than to flashing lights of the same kind.

An independent study by the FAA that compared traditional steady-burning lights with that of flashing lights produced similar results.

“The results showed that the new configurations that featured flashing lights provided acceptable warnings for pilots and would likely result in a significant decrease in bird fatalities,” a statement from the FAA said.

As a result, new installations of tower lighting will include the flashing lights and operators of towers with old lighting systems will be required to follow the new recommendations.