Hundreds of birds found dead on New York sidewalks

This week, several people uploaded videos and images of New York sidewalks with hundreds of bird carcasses to social media. Migrating birds have fallen injured or dead after hitting the city’s gigantic towers. It’s not uncommon for some birds to misunderstand the reflections in the glass and end up hitting windows, but these days the death toll has attracted attention.

NYC Audubon Volunteers, a network of volunteers and scientists working to conserve bird habitat, annually monitor and document deaths in high-risk locations during spring and fall migrations. “The number of birds that died this week was particularly high, bird strikes with Manhattan’s skyscrapers are a persistent problem that NYC Audubon has documented for years, ”said Kaitlyn Parkins, associate director of conservation and science for the group.

Melissa Breyer, the volunteer who tweeted about the discovery of nearly 300 birds in the streets surrounding the new World Trade Center towers, said the experience was overwhelming. “As soon as I got in front of the buildings the birds were everywhere on the sidewalks,” Breyer said. “Looking in all directions, the sidewalks were literally covered with birds.”

After an analysis of the situation, it was concluded that storms in the area contributed to the tragic outcome of the flight. “It looks like the storm may have disoriented some birds and made them fly lower than usual,” Parkins added. “What’s more, the effects of the city night light are strong enough for the birds, especially when the night is cloudy.”

Eventually 77 birds were saved and taken to the Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation center on the Upper West Side. “We knew there would be a big migration, we could see it on the radar,” said foundation director Ritamary McMahon, who has scheduled additional staff to deal with a larger influx of injured birds and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling Fortunately, about thirty birds recovered and were released to continue their journey.

The danger of skyscrapers

NYC Audubon wants owners of the World Trade Center towers and other buildings to help reduce the number of bird strikes by dimming the lights at night and treating the glass to make it more visible. “We care deeply about wild birds and protect their habitats in the five boroughs. Understanding that artificial night lighting in general can attract and disorient migrating birds, we actively encourage tenants in our offices to turn off the lights at night and lower the blinds as much as possible, especially during the migratory season.

On the other hand, Jordan Barowitz, spokesperson for the World Trade Center, assured that the first 60 meters of the WTC towers are lined with glass fins that are not reflective. “This design was chosen because it significantly reduces bird strikes, which mainly occur below 60 meters and are often caused by reflective glass.”

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