Photo by Corliss Karasov
If you have ever heard that sickening thud of a bird hitting a window, you are not alone. Up to one billion birds die from colliding with windows every single year in the U.S. Not just a few. Up to a billion.
In August 2020, Madison Audubon was proud to support the passage of Madison's new Bird-Safe Glass Ordinance, the first of its kind in Wisconsin but one of dozens nation-wide. The ordinance requires bird-safe glass be used in construction and major renovations of buildings 10,000 square feet or larger. But, now the ordinance is facing a legal challenge by the Wisconsin Institutes for Law and Liberty, representing developer groups that would like to see the ordinance go away.
We must fight back.
1. Bird-safe glass can cost more than regular glass, but far less than grossly exaggerated costs of 200-400% the opponents are claiming. Glass -- bird-safe or not -- represents just a small fraction of a building's total budget.
2. Birds have incredible value aesthetically, ecologically, and economically. The cost of killing birds is huge. And window collisions is a solvable problem.
3. Madison is a Bird City, with the most parks per capita in the entire country, and a thriving community of nature enthusiasts. This issue matters not only to Madisonians, but also Wisconsinites and folks all around the country.
Learn more about the issue and please SIGN OUR PETITION in support of the Bird-Safe Glass Ordinance at madisonaudubon.org/bird-safe-glass.
