NEW YORK – New York is staging a show with 2,000 pigeons tagged with LED lights illuminating the city's night sky.

The spectacle, called "Fly by Night," is premiering Thursday over the East River that separates Manhattan from Brooklyn.

The birds were released at sunset from coops aboard a former aircraft carrier docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The flock improvises its own choreography, swooping, twirling and gliding through the sky to create the 30-minute show.

The pigeon performance is the brainchild of artist Duke Riley. He compares it to a shooting star crossing the New York skyline.

The LED lights are attached to a bird's leg and remote-controlled.

The spectacle runs each weekend through June 12. It's free of charge but requires online reservations.