City Skyscrapers to Go Dark at Night to Help Migrating Birds Updated August 18, 2010 11:21am

Some New York City skyscrapers will turn off their lights at night this fall to keep migrating birds from running into them. (Wikimedia Commons)

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — Some of the city’s most famous buildings will turn off their lights at night this fall to help migrating birds.

Beginning this week, the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Time Warner Center, Rockefeller Center and the Worldwide Plaza will all go dark from midnight to dawn during the migration period running through October 31, the AP reported Wednesday.

New York City Audubon asked the buildings to turn off the lights, which they say confuse birds and can lead to them flying into the skyscrapers.

Turning off the lights can save the lives of thousands of birds each year, according to the group's website.

By Ben Fractenberg, DNAinfo.com

Follow Ben on Twitter @fractenberg