On archipelagos worldwide, high numbers of fledglings of different seabird species are attracted to artificial lights during their first flights to the sea. This attraction causes mortality as grounded birds are vulnerable to starvation, predation, dehydration and collision with vehicles. To avoid/reduce light-induced mortality, rescue campaigns are carried out in many places, and although only a few have been documented, the current information on seabird attraction to artificial lights mainly comes from these campaigns. Here, we aim to understand the mechanisms responsible for fatal attraction to design more eco-friendly artificial lights and more efficient rescue campaigns. We propose several innovative experiments and observational studies which are on the cutting edge of knowledge in the emerging field of the ecological consequences of light pollution.
