Tragic Night in Chicago: Nearly 1,000 Songbirds Perish in Collision with Glass
In a heartbreaking incident, close to 1,000 songbirds met their untimely demise in a single night after colliding with the glass windows of a prominent exhibition center in Chicago. This alarming event, experts note, is an extraordinary occurrence, given that normally, no more than 15 birds succumb to such accidents at the McCormick Place, the largest convention center in the United States.
David Willard, who has been observing the area for decades, described a chilling scene of a “carpet of dead birds” on a Thursday morning. He stated, “In 40 years of keeping track of what’s happening at McCormick, we’ve never seen anything remotely on that scale.”
A Deadly Mix of Factors
Avian specialists attribute this catastrophe to a lethal combination of rain, favorable migration conditions, and walls adorned with windows. This problem isn’t unique to Chicago; research from 2014 suggested that anywhere between 365 million and 988 million birds meet their end in window collisions across the United States every year.
Birds, it seems, don’t recognize the threat that glass presents, often flying towards windows when they see plant or bush reflections. Additionally, for species that migrate at night, bright lights from buildings can both attract and disorient them.
Matt Igleski, executive director of the Chicago Audubon Society, explained that such incidents are rather common, stating, “We see this in pretty much every major city during spring and fall migration. This was a very catastrophic single event, but when you add it all, it’s always like that.”
Unusual Weather Conditions Played a Role
Songbirds usually feed during the day and migrate at night to avoid air turbulence and predators. However, unseasonably warm southern winds throughout September left them in a holding pattern. It was only when northerly winds finally provided a tailwind on Wednesday night that they could embark on their journeys. Regrettably, rain before dawn forced them to fly at lower altitudes.
A Record-Breaking Tragedy
The grim outcome was a total of 964 birds from 33 different species losing their lives at the exhibition center. This is a staggering 700 more casualties than the worst such event since the 1980s.
Experts emphasize that window strikes are preventable. Simple measures, such as dimming the lights on buildings, can have a significant impact. Architects can also design windows with markings that birds can easily recognize. In New York City, the twin beams of light symbolizing the World Trade Center are occasionally turned off during the 9/11 memorial ceremony to prevent birds from becoming trapped.
Promoting Bird Safety
Efforts to mitigate bird collisions are underway. A nationwide Lights Out program is in place during migration months, and since 2020, buildings in Chicago have been required to adhere to stricter bird safety standards. Unfortunately, McCormick Place was constructed in the late 1950s, before such standards were established. A spokesperson for the complex clarified that interior lighting is turned off when not needed by staff, clients, or visitors, but, in this case, an event was taking place all week.
Mr. Willard, who made the distressing discovery, emphasized the importance of considering bird safety in architecture, stating, “It’s right on the lakefront. There are many nights when it’s lit up. People are describing the whole night of migration as part of a once-in-a-lifetime thing… [but] this still is an unacceptable intrusion by humans and their architecture. Just terribly sad and dramatic.”