In the United States alone, it is estimated that 100s of millions to 1 billion birds die every year from collisions with buildings. Death from window strikes is the second leading cause of death for birds in the US, second only to habitat loss. Who knew?! The goal of BirdSafe Portland is to investigate the magnitude of bird collisions in Portland and attempt to determine whether we have any strike risk areas that can be minimized.
So. Once a week, just before sunrise (which thankfully this season starts around 6:34AM and is only getting later), I hunt. Each volunteer has a specific route they walk, and there are five different routes. My route is the MUSEUM route, MUSE for short, and includes four buildings between the park blocks and waterfront in downtown Portland: Eliot (ELIO) Apartments, Ladd (LADD) Apartments, the giant Wells Fargo (WELL), and the Koin Center (KOIN). While I walk I scour sidewalks, in and around planters, gutters, and any foliage/ground cover that may be present. I also keep my eyes turned upward on the chance there might be a lil guy who’s fallen on an awning; this is how I found the only bird I did last season.
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| ELIO |
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| LADD |
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| WELL |
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| KOIN |
Now I bet you’re wondering, WHY are these feathered friends having such a HARD TIME going around buildings? I mean, these buildings are huge, right? All tall and wide and stuff? While they may be tall and wide, the fact is many of Portland’s large LEED certified (and otherwise) buildings are made with a ton of highly reflective glass. This glass creates the illusion of a safe, unobstructed flight path when that just isn’t the case.
Here are some FAQs taken straight from BirdSafe Portland’s site, as well as BirdSafe Literature I pass out to any curious passersby or maintenance crews I encounter.
Here are some FAQs taken straight from BirdSafe Portland’s site, as well as BirdSafe Literature I pass out to any curious passersby or maintenance crews I encounter.
Q: Why do birds strike windows? They have been migrating for millennia -- why don’t they learn to avoid buildings?
A: Birds simply cannot perceive glass as a barrier. During the day, birds see sky and vegetation reflected in windows as a continuation of habitat. In cases where windows meet at corners or are spaced closely enough to allow views through (like in the case of skybridges), birds perceive a fly-through opportunity. Many diurnal species migrate at night to maximize daytime foraging opportunities and minimize predation risks. Skyglow from cities may interfere with the celestial cues these birds rely on for navigation and may also lure them into cities where they circle buildings until they collapse from exhaustion and risk cards and scavengers on the ground. As human populations grow, our cities grow with them: we build more and more structures, and areas that are attractive to humans—riverbanks, coasts, and shorelines— are birds’ traditional migratory pathways. Our built environment is proving to be more and more of a challenge to migrating birds.
Q: What kinds of birds collide with buildings?
A: Bird mortality from window strikes has been recorded in more than half the bird species in the United States. Here in Portland, we have recorded Golden-crowned kinglet, Rufous hummingbird, Lincoln 's sparrow, Song sparrow, Swainson's thrushe, Varied thrushe, Black-throated gray warbler, Black-capped chickadee, Red-breasted nuthatch, and Cooper’s hawk as window strike casualties.
Q: If buildings are so dangerous, why don’t we see piles of dead birds on the sidewalk each day?
A: Many of the birds that strike windows are killed outright and fall to the ground where predators, such as gulls, crows, cats and other scavengers quickly carry them off, or they are cleaned up by maintenance workers. Those that survive an impact may be too injured to fly and find someplace to hide as the city wakes up. Those that retain flight ability may be so frightened by the noise and activity of a city in daytime that they fly up and collide with a building again.
Q: How many birds are killed each year in Portland?
A: We don't know yet! We do know that our Wildlife Care Center admits, on average, 200-300 window strike cases per year.We have only been monitoring seasonal routes in Portland since September of 2009 in order to estimate the magnitude of strikes. Trained volunteers survey our routes during spring and fall migration to collect fallen birds. Live birds can be released or taken to the Audubon Wildlife Care Center for treatment. Dead birds are collected and examined at the Care Center to determine if the injuries are consistent with window strike mortality.
DEATH TRAPS.
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Now maybe you’re feeling really bad for these poor pals and wondering, is there anything I can do to help?! Yes, yes there is! It’s very simple, really!
1. If you happen to see a bird on the ground (not only downtown, but anywhere) who is alive but showing signs of stress: closed eyes, drooping head, very heavy breathing- and seems to be in shock, or injured: leave it alone if you are in a quiet area where there are no perceivable threats (cars, cats, etc.) If you ARE in an area where the bird could be stepped on, run over, and eaten by a kitteh or other predator, quietly, gently pick up the bird and place it in a shrub or natural area where it can rest and recover. If the bird tries to flee when you approach it, please leave it alone. Trying to chase it will only cause more stress, and you don’t want to give that poor lil fella a heart attack, do you?!
THEN:
Report strikes and strike areas to Portland Audubon at 503.292.6855. You can also contact Mary Coolidge, BirdSafe coordinator, directly at 503.292.6855 x111, or email her. Please follow this procedure to contact Mary or Audubon even if you find a dead bird. Mary may want to come get the bird, or if you have time and the means, you may be asked to take the bird to Audubon per their instruction, where it will either be cared for in the Wildlife Care Center or undergo an autopsy to determine if the cause of death was indeed a window strike (there are gruesome tell tale signs).2. Reduce unnecessary overnight lighting at home & work by turning off office and house lights after you leave or turn in for the night.
3. Place birdfeeders WITHIN 3 feet or OVER 30 feet from windows. If a bird takes off from a feeder and smacks into a window at such close proximity, chances of injury are virtually non-existent. Feeders over 30 feet away reduce the risk of injury as well.
4. Densely affix UV decals to problem windows. UV decals do NOT affect the amount of light coming into a room and are highly imperceptible to humans. However, the difference it makes for birds is immense.
5. Move indoor plants away from windows.
6. Attach exterior screens to problem windows.
7. You can also sign this petition in support of bird-friendly building design for federal buildings.
8. VOLUNTEER! If you would like to get involved with BirdSafe, you can contact either myself or Mary at the # and email listed above.
9. Spread the word! By posting this link: http://audubonportland.org/
on your blog, facebook, or anywhere else your public stalks you!
on your blog, facebook, or anywhere else your public stalks you!
10. If you are an architect, landscape designer, engineer, glass technician, developer, building manager, city, state, or federal official, or a curious citizen interested in reading more about Bird-Safe building guidelines, please see here.
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After research is gathered, BirdSafe PDX will collaborate with various organizations and building owners to find solutions to help minimize collision risks. Two risk reduction tools could be:
1) Implementing a Lights Out program in the metro area; whereby building owners, managers and tenants reduce unnecessary lighting during migration. In Chicago, at one building where records have been kept for many years, the strike rate decreased by 80 percent when lights were turned off. Toronto, New York, Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Houston, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Milwaukee and Indianapolis have started Lights Out program, and this list is only growing.
2) Developing Bird-Safe Building Guidelines for Portland. BirdSafe PDX may also address other collision issues in the future such as those associated with bridges, communication towers, wind turbines, etc.
Hell yeah! <3
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