I've been having to deal with this issue in regard to wind turbines on the Chathams islands and navigation lights that may have to be fitted to them. There is a small risk that seabirds could be attracted to the lights. Anyway this seeming contridictory information has come to light, although the birds in these US studies are night-migrating landbirds and not seabirds.
The FWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) guidelines indicate that red pulsing or continuous red lights attract birds more readily than white strobe lights.
http://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/towers.htmlIf taller (>199 feet AGL) towers requiring lights for aviation safety must be constructed, the minimum amount of pilot warning and obstruction avoidance lighting required by the FAA should be used. Unless otherwise required by the FAA, only white (preferable) or red strobe lights should be used at night, and these should be the minimum number, minimum intensity, and minimum number of flashes per minute (longest duration between flashes) allowable by the FAA. The use of solid red or pulsating red warning lights at night should be avoided. Current research indicates that solid or pulsating (beacon) red lights attract night-migrating birds at a much higher rate than white strobe lights. Red strobe lights have not yet been studied.
http://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/fwsguidelines.htmlhttp://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/stories/090612.htmlhttp://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/energyproduction/wind.htm
