City of Calgary, Alberta and Bow
River
Photos of Calgary Courtesy Trail
Canada
Project Prevent Collision
Reducing the Number of Window-Bird
Collisions at Your Home and in Your Neighbourhood
The facts about window-bird collisions
are startling. In North America, between 100 million and 1 billion birds
die in collisions with windows each year. To put this into perspective, on
average every building in the United States creates 1 – 10 fatal collisions
per year! Why do birds collide with windows? Window-bird collisions occur
because birds do not recognize clear and reflective windows as barriers.
Windows either reflect the outside environment or create a see-through
effect whereby birds see through two windows parallel to one another and
attempt to fly through to the other side. Either way, many birds are lost
to collisions with windows. While window-bird collisions represent a
significant source of avian mortality, our understanding is limited
regarding the relative risk of certain building or construction
characteristics that influence the number of window-bird collisions. This
is why we need your help.
We invite you to participate in
http://www.wildbirdcenter.com/content/project_prevent_collision)
as a Citizen Scientist and contribute approximately three hours of your time
over a four-week period. In return, you may help save a wild bird’s life by
enrolling now as a Citizen Scientist.
There are several steps that one can
take to reduce the number of daytime window-bird collisions.
For pre-existing homes, moving bird
feeders to within three feet of a window has been shown to eliminate fatal
collisions that are a result of bird feeding activities. Placing decals (eg.
Hawk silhouettes) on the outside of windows can also reduce the number of
collisions. Multiple decals will be needed on large windows, and decals
should be placed no more than four inches apart vertically and two inches
apart horizontally to be most effective. Other possible solutions include
adding physical barriers to the windows such as awning and netting.
For homes to be constructed, angling
windows downward at 20 or 40 degrees can reduce the number of window-bird
collisions. In addition, birds are more susceptible to collisions with
larger window panes (greater than six square feet).
(Reprinted from 2006 Fall
edition of Nature Views)
Morning Edition,
January 3, 2006
· No one knows what birds see when they look out at the
world, says ornithologist Daniel Klem, but he's sure they don't see
glass. He estimates that at least 1 billion birds are killed by
flying into windows every year in the United States.
"It's a very
common phenomenon," said Klem. "Birds are deceived. They just don't
see glass as a barrier and this is a problem for them."
Klem, a professor at Mulhenberg college in Allentown, Pa., first
learned about the "window hit" problem 30 years ago from a teacher.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5076012#email
City of Toronto -
Courtesy City of Toronto Website
Cut the lights and save
the birds, Hydro says
Last Updated: Monday, November
14, 2005 | 10:15 AM ET
Toronto Hydro is again asking the owners of Toronto's
office towers to cut their lights to save birds during
the migration season.
The city is on a major flyway
for birds wintering in the southern United States and
elsewhere. The utility's Lights Out campaign aims to
save them from ending up littering plazas outside the
buildings on fall mornings.
Researchers say countless thousands are
killed or injured in collisions with
lighted buildings in the city's financial
district.
"On evenings when conditions are
overcast, or when light pollution from
urban areas such as the city of Toronto
conceals stars, the confused birds are
drawn toward the twinkling lights atop
buildings or emanating from their windows,
where they either collide immediately, or
flutter about the light source until
eventually, they drop from exhaustion,"
the Fatal Light Awareness Program, a bird
rescue charity, said in a statement last
month.
"If they survive the fall they often
become prey to scavengers such as gulls,
crows, raccoons, or feral cats."
Hydro has encouraged the CN Tower and
more than 100 buildings, including those
in the Toronto Dominion Centre and BCE
Place complexes, to turn off unneeded
lights during migration season.
The utility says the campaign combines
environmental awareness, energy
conservation and business efficiency.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2005/11/14/birds-towers2005-11-14.html
Tougher
action urged to save sea birds from illegal
oil dumping and other stories on the cbc.ca
website. Go to cbc and search archives.
Sorry - Links to these
articles do not work.
For dozens of stories about birds
killed by flying into windows, enter the following words into Google search
engine. ( birds killed flying into windows).
What a great story with pictures. Enjoy!
This is truly a lovely love story. There are several pages so be sure
to click "Next". Read each page and go to "next" at the bottom
of each page.
http://www.juliusbergh.com/cocky/
This link is to a
photography journal of the story of two cockatoos, one domestic and one
wild. The female has a bad wing and cannot fly and she is courted by a
wild male. He manages to get her cage open and the relationship continues
from there. They even raise a family. There are some wonderful photos and
a great story.
This is truly amazing. Be sure to click on
"NEXT PAGE" at the bottom of each page; there are 5 pages in
all. A lady found a hummingbird nest and got pictures all the
way from the egg to leaving the nest. Took 24 days from birth
to flight. Because you'll probably never see this again in your
lifetime, enjoy and share. The very last picture is amazing.
http://community.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM
This is a great story with great pictures that has to come under
that old heading of "Believe it or not!"
At a car wash-and evidently it is true.
Bird Brain? - Brighter than you think!
