ABC Collision Flyer
There are some new items to add to a previous post about bird safe building guidelines.
First, from the American Bird Conservancy comes news about proposed legislation that would put regulations on federal building construction.
The bill, HR 4797 calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. The terms “bird-safe building materials and design features” are defined through reference to several publications addressing those topics.
Read more about the bill and the response from ABC on their website. Proposed Legislation Would Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths
In addition the ABC has also published a flyer about bird and building collisions that discusses the problems as well as some quick and easy solutions for homeowners to help protect birds from windows. View that flyer here You Can Save Birds From Flying Into Windows!
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The Audubon Society of Portland has also taken steps to address this issue with citizen science and their new BirdSafe Portland program. Volunteers will walk routes downtown in the early hours to look for fallen birds. This program is just getting started and it will be very interesting to keep an eye on the results of their study.
Some of their literature has some good facts and information including why birds hit windows. This is because the birds see the reflection of vegetation during the day, or can see through to the other side of a building as well and at night, lights can confuse diurnal migration. According to their brochure, window strikes account for the death of 100 million up to 1 billion birds every single year.
There are also ways you can help according to Audubon Society of Portland by reducing unnecessary overnight lights, placing birdfeeders within 3′ or over 30′ from windows, affix UV decals to windows, move indoor plants away from windows, and attach screens to windows.
Read more at the Oregonian about the new program. Audubon will track birds killed in crashes
Make sure to visit the Audubon Society of Portland’s BirdSafe Portland page too.
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