Statue of Liberty - Luring Birds to Their Deaths

When the Statue of Liberty was assembled in New York, it initially served as a lighthouse.  Then ... an unexpected phenomenon occurred.  Birds, flying nearby, became disoriented and were fatally injured after flying into the statue's flame.  This drawing from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, published on 15 October 1887, provides more background:

Liberty's Light a Lure to Death - Thousands of Birds Blinded and Killed by the Flame in the Statue's Hand - 1,375 Perish in a Single Night. 

Click on the image for a better view.

Credits

Original illustration by a staff artist, for Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper,  published October 15, 1887.  Image online, courtesy Library of Congress.