Building collisions kill up to a billion birds every year in the U.S., or between 5% and 10% of the bird population, said Bryan Lenz of the American Bird Conservancy.
Birds could have a safer flight path thanks to a new Lake County policy that requires newly constructed county-owned buildings to use at least 80% bird-friendly glass on the exteriors.
A Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that upheld the state’s first ordinance requiring bird-friendly building construction could spread similar policies to other cities.
Already Middleton, Wisconsin, has passed such an ordinance following the ruling last October, said Brenna Marsicek, director of outreach at the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
CHICAGO — Annette Prince peered between glossy downtown buildings: ”There’s a bird in that grate.” Sure enough, sitting very still in the rain was a tiny white-throated sparrow, so drenched you could barely make out its canary-yellow face markings. The bird was too dazed to move — an easy target for the hungry seagulls that were patrolling the area. Prince looked up at the nearest skyscraper, .