View on the Center City skyline as seen from the South Street Bridge, in Philadelphia, PA, on October 23, 2019. (Photo by Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Some of the tallest buildings in Philadelphia will go dark for a few months a year in order to prevent migratory birds from striking the buildings as they head north or south, depending on the season, city officials and environmentalists said Thursday.
The buildings will shut off the lights from midnight to 6 a.m. every night between April 1 and May 31, and Aug. 15 and Nov. 15 to accommodate dozens of the migratory bird species.
The buildings that have already signed on to the Lights Out Philly initiative are: BNY Mellon Center, Comcast Technology Center and Comcast Center, Jefferson Center, One South Broad, One Liberty Place, Two Liberty Place, and 1515 Market Street.
"A simple thing like turning out lights can help thousands of birds safely navigate our challenging urban environment," Academy of Natural Sciences CEO Scott Cooper said. "We are heartened by all the efforts in our community to join together in this critical initiative to save so many birds from unnecessary harm and even death."
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Philadelphia is now one of 34 American cities that have already joined the national Lights Out effort, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Wilmington, Del., and Washington, D.C.
