Please note: there is an urgent action alert at the end of this post. This article provides context for the need, and the links below provide you with opportunities to TAKE ACTION!
Thank you for all you do for birds.
A Nashville warbler was victim of a window collision. Photo by Beth Workmaster, BCC volunteer
For over 30 years, my wife Sally and I have been regulars at the Downtown Farmers' Market. We're in the group of early birds, who enjoy an uncrowded walk around the Square, a chance to talk to the vendors, some of whom are now friends, before they get too busy, and buy some great food before it sells out. Last fall, Sally and I discovered that other early birds were not so fortunate. On multiple Saturdays, we found a freshly dead warbler that had collided with one of the tall, newer glass buildings on the corners of the Square. That made for a somber walk to the car.
Birds hit windows. That comes as no surprise to most of us. This happens because bird vision is not evolved to see glass — really, no one’s vision is evolved that way, which is why there are slews of YouTube videos of people running into glass doors. Birds don’t have the benefit of communication and warning, and when approaching a large pane of glass, often see the reflection of sky or habitat. Even worse, birds fly quickly and are small-bodied, meaning that most of the time when they collide with a window, it is fatal.
Buildings of all shapes and sizes experience this problem, with 99% of bird-window collisions happening at buildings that are less than 12 stories (nearly half of the offending buildings are less than 4 stories). Buildings that are tall (4-11 stories) with huge amounts of glass kill about 56% of the total birds. And a LOT of birds die from this. Up to one billion (yes, that’s a B) per year, in just the United States. Visit the American Bird Conservancy’s website for more information on the research and solutions to this problem.
Provided by American Bird Conservancy
Madison Audubon has been studying this problem in Madison through its volunteer, citizen science project called the Bird Collision Corps, done in partnership with UW-Madison and the Dane County Wildlife Center. The Bird Collision Corps has surveyed since 2018 which and to what extent buildings are causing bird deaths. For the most part, these in-field studies have focused on the UW-Madison campus area, with a couple of additional buildings monitored in the greater Madison area. It's demanding work. First of all, there is the grimness of looking hard for dead birds. Secondly, the volunteers have to look on a regular and frequent basis. A good friend and wildlife biologist for the DNR once helped on a study of cell tower bird mortality and noted that dead birds don't last long. Plenty of scavengers, even in a city, will make a quick meal of them. That's also a reason that any such study likely under-counts the number of dead birds.
And birds don't always die in collisions with buildings — in a few cases, the birds are injured. When that happens, our volunteers try to get the birds to the Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center for rehabilitation as quickly as possible, and often successfully.
Birds need you, right now
All of this is sad for many reasons, but a prime one is that this degree of carnage is unnecessary, can be reduced, and there is something we can do. Buildings with lots of glass can be designed, constructed, or retro-fitted to substantially reduce bird mortality. The technology is there, and the developers have access to it. Currently, the Cities of Madison and Middleton are in the early stages of considering ordinances that would require such designs, in consultation with Madison Audubon and partners.
Rendering by Urban Land Interests, pulled from The Cap Times article linked below.
Right now, Madison is beginning to discuss the huge redevelopment on Pinckney Street (on the Square) by Urban Land Interests. Now is the time for Madison Audubon members and bird conservationists in general to insist that the design of those buildings reduces bird deaths and injuries and that the City adopt policies to protect birds. Here is an article that describes the project. Please take action as soon as possible.
If you live in Madison, please find and contact your Alderperson and Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to express your concerns about this and other projects’ potential devastating impact on birds, and the support for bird-friendly design.
If you live outside the City, please contact the Mayor.
We should be optimistic about this effort. Most Madison alders profess strong environmental and conservation values. The Mayor has an excellent record on such issues and is a good and enthusiastic birder (disclaimer: I strongly supported the Mayor in her election).
If you want more information on these issues before taking pen, phone, or keyboard in hand, please contact Madison Audubon’s executive director, Matt Reetz at mreetz@madisonaudubon.org.
Thank you for your action and passion!
Written by Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board member and advocacy committee chair and Brenna Marsicek, Madison Audubon director of communications and outreach
