Artificial lights at night cause high mortality in fledgling seabirds due to attraction and subsequent grounding, particularly during the new moon. Previous studies on migratory birds suggest that the color of artificial light can affect attraction, but the drivers behind this behavioral phenomenon are poorly understood. It is known that the number of grounded fledgling seabirds, such as the Wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica), fluctuates with the moon. To investigate visual cues that may be driving observed light attraction behavior, visual contrast models were created using the PAVO R package. Using published data on both the visual system of A. pacifica and the spectra of common streetlights, we investigated how the color contrast of the moon and artificial lights compare, and how A. pacifica perception may differ from human perception. Results suggest humans are more easily able to detect differences in color between artificial lights and the full moon than A. pacifica. Results also suggest that to seabirds, many artificial lights look similar in color to the full moon. These results are consistent with behavioral tests of seabird attraction to a variety of common streetlights and have implications for conservation management of artificial light near seabird colonies.