By Olivia Bautch
Bird-lovers know well the marvel that is migration – the billions of small-winged, nearly weightless bundles of feather navigating starlit pathways from home to summer home, and still back home again, all within a matter of six months. Like a fresh snow they appear – quite literally – overnight as one strange shorebird to a retention pond, or a gathering of dozens of songbirds buzzing and warbling with joy. During migration season even the non-birding population stops to question what this colorful movement is, flitting in the treetops above them and along the creeksides below.
It could be no more evident than now, at the height of spring migration, that these species deserve our care and protection. Because there is a deadly obstacle looming in the darkness of migration, and it’s right here in our cities.
Shining skylines are undeniably striking and are a core component of metropolitan identity. The gleam of these skylines is formed by clear panels of glass laid up and down city buildings and skyways. Over the last three decades however, conservationists have sounded the alarm on how fatal the reflectiveness of these panels is for birds who see it as a continuation of their surroundings. Additionally, the nighttime glow of populated areas creates a dizzying and draining draw into these dangerous streets.
As an initiative of the Amos Butler Audubon society, Bird Safe Indy has been an advocate for safety in our home city of Indianapolis. With their advising, Mayor Joe Hogsett issued a proclamation declaring April 15 to July 1 and September 1 to October 31 of 2024 as “Light Reduction for Migratory Bird Days.” It was a victory to have the City acknowledge one piece of the puzzle. But that still leaves another piece…
This year, Bird Safe Indy has been at work to tackle the deadly problem of reflective windows in Indianapolis. Taking cue from the 11 other states (plus DC) already implementing protections, and in partnership with city-county councilor Jesse Brown, they devised a potential ordinance. The goal in summary: all new construction and any buildings under public, state, or local government ownership within Marion County should be designed or retrofitted with bird-safe window treatments.
Austin Broadwater, Bird Safe Indy Chair throughout the project writes, “research has shown that anywhere from 300 million to a billion birds die every year from strikes in the US alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions to reduce and prevent these unnecessary deaths. Potential options include applying window films, installing bird-safe glass, angling windows down, and other renovations.”
Austin isn’t the only one seeing the effects of these treatments. A story published this past winter by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology gave an update on the infamous Chicago convention center that brought death to almost 1,000 birds of 30 different species in one night. While lakeside weather conditions contributed to an anomalous southbound flight that night, failure to treat windows made this event a wake-up call.
Fast forward to the following October, surveyors find only “one or two” casualties – this due to the application of Feather Friendly dots over the convention center’s windows. These dots are one of the many options Austin and Bird Safe Indy have on standby to present to homeowners and government officials alike: proof that this proposed ordinance can work.
Bird Safe Indy wants to show that this proposition is important to the community before they bring it before the city government. Please take time to read through the petition at the link below, and if you support it, please sign it! Your support is invaluable, and we, and the birds will thank you!