Collision course

Tall man-made objects can be deadly to migrating birds.

Lighthouses are among the worst. Birds reaching the coast are attracted to the light, but as they get closer they become blinded and crash into the tower – sometimes in their thousands. 

The RSPB has successfully campaigned for many lighthouses to be floodlit, which helps birds to see the towers and avoid them. Burning flares on floating oil and gas platforms cause similar problems at sea – birds fly towards the light and are killed by the flames. 

Skyscrapers, television aerials, radio masts and power lines also kill many migrating birds each year. Migration routes took thousands of years to develop; evolution hasn’t prepared birds to cope with these modern hazards.