The Detroit Zoo says it's switching off the lights around its water tower at night to help birds migrating through Michigan as they head south for the winter.

According to the zoo, night lighting can disorient migrating birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says lighting can attract "large numbers of night-migrating birds" from as far as three miles away.

"Birds drawn into lights often become entrapped and circle the lit area, which can deplete their energy stores needed for migration and put them more at risk of colliding with buildings and infrastructure," federal officials say.

The zoo said its water tower's up-lighting will be shut off at 11 p.m. every night through Oct. 31.

Zoo officials are asking others to join the conservation effort by turning off or dimming nonessential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., aiming outside light fixtures downward, closing blinds and shades at night and putting dense decals or markers on windows.

The SAFE North American songbird program, which aims to raise awareness of issues facing the species, was developed with the help of the Detroit Zoo.