Andrew Farnsworth

Research Associate

Andrew Farnsworth is a migration ecologist and visiting scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He has studied migrating birds at the Tribute in Light since 2002 and co-authored research documenting the effects of the memorial’s bright artificial light on bird behavior, including how quickly birds can resume their journeys when the lights are temporarily turned off.

Farnsworth says: 

“The Tribute in Light is first and foremost a deeply meaningful memorial, and it is possible to honor that significance while also protecting birds moving through New York’s night sky. In fact, the collaboration surrounding the Tribute has become one of the best examples anywhere of how awareness, science and very simple actions can coexist.

“September is an active period of migration over New York City. Most movement is invisible to us because it happens at night, and at times thousands of feet above the ground. But when migrating birds encounter an extraordinarily bright source of artificial light, we can see that hidden migration. And we can see that it impacts birds. They may concentrate in the beams, slow down, circle, descend and call much more frequently, increasing their risks of colliding with nearby buildings.

“Our research showed just how dramatic this attraction can be. Bird densities near the beams reached up to 60 to 150 times their normal levels, and across seven nights of study (i.e. seven different memorial events) we estimated that approximately 1.1 million birds were influenced by the lights.

“The Tribute in Light in New York City showed us how lights can affect bird migration, but also how to work together to reduce the impact for migrating birds. The teams in New Hampshire are following lessons learned in New York. Observers at Mount Washington will be at the summit monitoring the lights, in addition to remote observers to ensure safe passage of birds.”