"PSF helped building owners find solutions fortroublesome sites. With the support of the Bird-Safe Glass Working Group, NYC Audubon members, government agencies, and foundations, Bird-Safe Building Guide-lines (Guidelines) has been published byNew York City Audubon (online at http://nycaudubon.org/home
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Building Guidelines
NYC Audubon has been monitoring the deaths of birds in collisions with buildings in Project Safe Flight or "PSF." New New York City Audubon has published a pamphlet of building guidelines. Here's the announcement from the current issue of The Urban Audubon, published by NYC Audubon. The URL for the on-line version of the pamphlet appears in the "Bird Sites" section of this blog.
"PSF helped building owners find solutions fortroublesome sites. With the support of the Bird-Safe Glass Working Group, NYC Audubon members, government agencies, and foundations, Bird-Safe Building Guide-lines (Guidelines) has been published byNew York City Audubon (online at http://nycaudubon.org/home/bird- safebuildingguidelines.pdf). The 55-page document written by Hillary Brown and Steven Caputo of New Civic Works and Kate Orff of SCAPE is aimed at architects, designers, developers, building managers, and policy makers, yet it is comprehensible and useful to all readers. Its suggestions are meant either for new buildings or for retrofitting existing ones and go far beyond bird-safe glass."
"PSF helped building owners find solutions fortroublesome sites. With the support of the Bird-Safe Glass Working Group, NYC Audubon members, government agencies, and foundations, Bird-Safe Building Guide-lines (Guidelines) has been published byNew York City Audubon (online at http://nycaudubon.org/home
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Daniel Klem - Window Collisions
Daniel Klem is a leading expert on collisions of birds with windows.
He published "Bird-Window Collisions" in 1989 in Wilson Bulletin 101(4):606-620. Here is the URL: www.birdscreen.com/PDF/KlemCollisions1989.pdf. All birds are vulnerable, because they fail to recognize glass as a barrier. Birds that fly into windows are not necessarily unhealthy or otherwise impaired specimens.
He published "Bird-Window Collisions" in 1989 in Wilson Bulletin 101(4):606-620. Here is the URL: www.birdscreen.com/PDF/KlemCollisions1989.pdf. All birds are vulnerable, because they fail to recognize glass as a barrier. Birds that fly into windows are not necessarily unhealthy or otherwise impaired specimens.
Bird strikes - four-story glass walkway
The study is Bird Mortality at a Glassed-In Walkway in Washington State, by R.E. Johnson and G. E. Hudson. It was published in 1976 in Western Birds, 7:99-107. elibrary.unm.edu/sora/wb/v07n03/p0099-p0107.pdf
The most common bird in the study between May 1968 to March 1970 (28 birds out of 155) was the pine siskin, http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/79/_/Pine_Siskin.aspx, a small finch with a brown-streaked body. American Robin (turdus migratorius - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin) and yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Yellow_Warbler.html) were next most common, with 9 each out of 155 specimens.
Migration seasons, especially fall, were most lethal for birds. The location in this study was a glass walkway that does not reflect but seems completely transparent. An invisible barrier.
The most common bird in the study between May 1968 to March 1970 (28 birds out of 155) was the pine siskin, http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/79/_/Pine_Siskin.aspx, a small finch with a brown-streaked body. American Robin (turdus migratorius - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin) and yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Yellow_Warbler.html) were next most common, with 9 each out of 155 specimens.
Migration seasons, especially fall, were most lethal for birds. The location in this study was a glass walkway that does not reflect but seems completely transparent. An invisible barrier.
Glassed in Walkways
Johnson, R.E. and G. E. Hudson, 1976. Bird Mortality at a glassed in Walkway in Washington State. elibrary.unm.edu/sora/wb/v07n03/p0099-p0107.pdf
Mortality was greatest during migration seasons, especially fall. The location in this study was a glass walkway that does not reflect but seems completely transparent. An invisible barrier.
Mortality was greatest during migration seasons, especially fall. The location in this study was a glass walkway that does not reflect but seems completely transparent. An invisible barrier.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Bird Conservation Alliance National Meeting
Bird Conservation Alliance National Meeting - Register
October 11, 2007 Agenda
The Nature Conservancy World Wide Office in Arlington, VA
The Bird Conservation Alliance is a network of organizations with a shared interest in the conservation of wild birds. Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and concerned citizens are united with conservation professionals, scientists, and educators to benefit bird conservation efforts. The Bird-Safe Glass Foundation is a member.
October 11, 2007 Agenda
The Nature Conservancy World Wide Office in Arlington, VA
The Bird Conservation Alliance is a network of organizations with a shared interest in the conservation of wild birds. Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and concerned citizens are united with conservation professionals, scientists, and educators to benefit bird conservation efforts. The Bird-Safe Glass Foundation is a member.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Morgan Mail Facility covers windows
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/nyregion/22birds.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The windows at the Morgan mail facility at 28th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan were not really windows overlooking the park. However, the windows overlooking Chelsea Park on 28th Street reflected the trees in the park. Birds ran into those windows at a high rate. For birds it was one of the deadliest places in Manhattan. The rates are apparently greatest during the migration seasons. We speculate that that is because the birds in migration do not really know their surroundings.
New York City Audubon volunteers counted the fatalities, and the post office agreed to coat the windows. Now, those windows are not reflective. We thank the post office. The Times story was on the first page of the B section below the fold. We thank the Times for the coverage.
The glass was the exterior facade of the building, but the glass did not act as windows. No one was looking out. One thing this illustrates is the popularity of glass facades today. Another is that it is easier to coat the windows with a non-reflective, black, vinyl film when no one's vision or light is diminished.
From 2002 through 2006, the New York City Audubon volunteers, led by Nicole Delacretaz, had counted 862 collisions. The three most common species were dark-eyed junco (junco hyemalis - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/DEJU/), white throated sparrows (onotrichia albicollis - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/WHTSPA/) and ruby-crowned kinglets (regulus calendula - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet.html), according to the Times story. In other words, most of the birds that fly into the windows of buildings are little birds.
The windows at the Morgan mail facility at 28th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan were not really windows overlooking the park. However, the windows overlooking Chelsea Park on 28th Street reflected the trees in the park. Birds ran into those windows at a high rate. For birds it was one of the deadliest places in Manhattan. The rates are apparently greatest during the migration seasons. We speculate that that is because the birds in migration do not really know their surroundings.
New York City Audubon volunteers counted the fatalities, and the post office agreed to coat the windows. Now, those windows are not reflective. We thank the post office. The Times story was on the first page of the B section below the fold. We thank the Times for the coverage.
The glass was the exterior facade of the building, but the glass did not act as windows. No one was looking out. One thing this illustrates is the popularity of glass facades today. Another is that it is easier to coat the windows with a non-reflective, black, vinyl film when no one's vision or light is diminished.
From 2002 through 2006, the New York City Audubon volunteers, led by Nicole Delacretaz, had counted 862 collisions. The three most common species were dark-eyed junco (junco hyemalis - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/DEJU/), white throated sparrows (onotrichia albicollis - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/WHTSPA/) and ruby-crowned kinglets (regulus calendula - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet.html), according to the Times story. In other words, most of the birds that fly into the windows of buildings are little birds.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
1979 review
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=icwdmbirdcontrol
Review of Avian Mortality Due to Manmade Structures, by Michael L. Avery.
Daniel Klem in 1979 estimated 80 million birds killed per year or about one per building in the US, even though some buildings kill many more than one bird. That year, R. C. Banks put the number at only 3.5 million birds per year.
We think Klem's number is too low, and in any event there are many more buildings exist in the US now than did in 1979. Klem's calculation came in his doctoral dissertation at Southern Illinois. He has devoted a great deal of time and research effort to the topic of bird collisions since then.
Klem's work suggested that bird kills from collisions with buildings happen at all seasons and involving both clear glass and reflective glass. All kinds of birds run into buildngs and die---young and old, many species.
In addition, many other kinds of structures kill birds, including antenna and broadcast towers (and their guys) and overhead power lines.
Daniel Klem is currently working on a study for New York City Audubon using the Project Safe Flight data tht the volunteers have collected.
For many years, the effects of manmade structures on birds have been known. It has taken a long time for humans to take notice of these effects on the natural world.
Review of Avian Mortality Due to Manmade Structures, by Michael L. Avery.
Daniel Klem in 1979 estimated 80 million birds killed per year or about one per building in the US, even though some buildings kill many more than one bird. That year, R. C. Banks put the number at only 3.5 million birds per year.
We think Klem's number is too low, and in any event there are many more buildings exist in the US now than did in 1979. Klem's calculation came in his doctoral dissertation at Southern Illinois. He has devoted a great deal of time and research effort to the topic of bird collisions since then.
Klem's work suggested that bird kills from collisions with buildings happen at all seasons and involving both clear glass and reflective glass. All kinds of birds run into buildngs and die---young and old, many species.
In addition, many other kinds of structures kill birds, including antenna and broadcast towers (and their guys) and overhead power lines.
Daniel Klem is currently working on a study for New York City Audubon using the Project Safe Flight data tht the volunteers have collected.
For many years, the effects of manmade structures on birds have been known. It has taken a long time for humans to take notice of these effects on the natural world.
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