Book 13, Question 138
Why Do Tall Towers Have Blinking Red Lights?
Tall towers blink red at night so airplane pilots can see them from far away! Red is easy to see against the dark sky, and it stands out from the stars. Flashing grabs attention too.
More fun facts
- Tall towers have red lights so pilots can see and avoid them at night.
- Steady red tower lights attract night flying birds, which can crash into the towers.
- The roughly 1,000 tallest towers in North America cause about 70 percent of these bird deaths.
- Switching steady lights to blinking ones could cut those deaths by as much as 70 percent.
- US rules now require new communication towers to use flashing red lights.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Why do blinking lights help birds?
Birds are drawn to steady lights, and blinking ones lure fewer of them.