Chicago's new Apple store dimming lights due to bird deaths

CHICAGO — The new Apple store in downtown will dim its lights after complaints from wildlife groups that say its glassy facade is causing deadly bird strikes.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Apple spokesman Nick Leahy says the Cupertino, California-based company would "get the lights down" as much as possible overnight starting Friday through the migratory season. The new two-story store with floor-to-ceiling glass along the Chicago River opened Oct. 20. Leahy acknowledged the bird strikes but said it hasn't been a large number.

Members of the volunteer group Chicago Bird Collision Monitors say they've found dead birds at the store. The group blames the store's exterior glass walls and night lighting. Experts say city lights often disorient birds, causing them to crash into buildings and fall.