Migratory Birds Face Lethal Threats from Glass Structures

In November of 2024, a dark-eyed junco met its end after hitting a structure adjacent to Union Station located in Washington, D.C. This unfortunate incident was logged by a participant from Lights Out DC, an initiative that has chronicled such occurrences since 2010.

At daybreak in Washington, D.C., Stephanie Haley frequents her usual downtown path, observing sidewalks alongside towering buildings. She finds a lifeless olive-green bird—a migrating Acadian flycatcher between the north and Central or South America—having presumably struck a window.

Cautiously, Haley approaches the bird, gently using a net to cover it before using her gloved hand for handling. The bird begins to stir and emit distressful cries.

"His movements suggest he's only temporarily stunned," noted Haley, volunteering for a team focused on reducing the impact of artificial night lighting—known to allure birds to their demise via collisions.

Haley intends to take the bird to City Wildlife for examination, managed by the nonprofit orchestrating Lights Out DC. Despite care, such as placing birds in oxygen chambers, many succumb to unseen injuries like concussions and fractures.

Ethan Ableman, another Lights Out DC volunteer, investigates a deceased northern flicker's distinctive plumage, a casualty of another building collision.

Lisbeth Fuisz explains that birds can travel at speeds up to 30 mph before impacting glass, resulting in severe sounds and fatal injuries.

Recent figures estimate around one billion birds annually succumb to such glass-related accidents across the U.S.

Glass ranks high on the list of bird threats, sitting alongside predatory cats and habitat loss. Still, solutions like specialized glass and window treatments exist to mitigate these dangers, mentioned by the American Bird Conservancy.

Advocates like Matthew Lenz concede that the vast proliferation of glass poses a considerable challenge even as strategies to rescue from such fatalities are known.

The Complexity of Glass

Every migratory night, millions depart, leveraging the nocturnal coolness as they navigate by celestial markers to rest at dawn, only to be confronted by menacing glass.

Unaccustomed evolutionarily to glass, birds mistake transparent panes for empty space or mirror images for genuine landscapes.

The majority of these accidents don't occur high above but closer to ground level, beyond city confines, highlighting not only urban but widespread hazards.

In D.C., multiple years of volunteer efforts outline certain buildings as particularly hazardous, repeatedly casting deadly illusions for passing birds.

Fuisz points out one problematic building near North Capitol, with its reflective design trapping birds into a fatal glass atrium.

Such research mirrors national campaigns in major metropolises aiming to clarify this oft-overlooked but significant peril.

Massive Incidents

A poignant case happened on October 4, 2023, when hundreds of birds died at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center, transforming it into a national topic of conversation.

Speaking up, a volunteer noted this tragedy spurred efforts, bringing together diverse stakeholders like bird conservationists and architectural experts.

The outcome—a coalition dedicated to collective solutions with more than a hundred organizations sharing techniques and findings—is a rarity in a field marked by compartmentalized attacks on the issue.

While some governmental protections have recently been relaxed, this coalition focuses on scientific and practical measures to reduce bird fatalities.

Experiences like Chicago prompt reassessment, with reflective materials proving disastrous but preventable with modern innovations.

After an incident, applying a patterned film to windows at the Chicago convention center diminished subsequent collisions by 95%, proving economic feasibility when considered during planning phases.

In cities like Dallas, this model could influence redesigns, encouraging broader adoption of bird-friendly practices and reducing nighttime illumination.

Simple Solutions and Collective Action

Few urban centers, including D.C., mandate bird-friendly architecture, but voluntary efforts driven by compelling data have prompted light reductions and window modifications.

Awareness campaigns stress homeowners' roles, whose small-scale application of such strategies could widely alleviate this burden.

Dalke, another Lights Out DC volunteer, reflects on such settings as prime collision spots, exemplified by the mirrored skyways 'walkway of death.'

Observing a tiny, lifeless ruby-throated hummingbird, one is reminded of their incredible migration feats thwarted by human inventions.

Recording these incidents enhances the database that directs conservation focus and mitigates future Townlands incidents.