Nearly 600 million birds are killed each year in North America due to collisions with buildings and not just skyscrapers. Residences up to four stories in height account for 250 million of the 600 million total, according to the National Audubon Society.
Among the major contributors to these deadly crashes: artificial light at night which disorients the birds and glass, due to both its transparency and mirrorlike, reflective properties.
With the stroke of a pen from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois became the latest entity to enact legislation aimed at stemming the carnage.
Under the Bird Safe Buildings Act, any newly constructed state building will be required to incorporate bird-friendly design. The same rules apply, with a handful of exemptions, to renovations of state buildings in which more than half of the facade is substantially altered.
Quit bird feeders Add native plants to your garden instead
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How To Create a Hummingbird Hangout in Your Garden
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Attract Hummingbirds to Your Small Garden
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Adding these 13 plants, not bird feeders, could save the birds Jeanette Marantos © (Tammy Kokjohn) A Lawrence s goldfinch. Finches are very social feeders and tend to be hit by diseases at backyard feeding stations, hence seeding plants are a safer food source. (Tammy Kokjohn)
Attention wildlife fans: If you want to help support wild bird populations, you might want to rethink the bird feeder.
Because of a vicious salmonellosis outbreak this winter, wildlife officials in multiple Western states issued warnings earlier this year that so many birds were dying, the safest plan was to take down all our feeders, at least temporarily. This would prevent birds from congregating and spreading the disease. Those who kept their feeders up were urged to clean and disinfect them regularly. In San Diego County, the outbreak had the biggest impact on the songbirds known as pine siskins, a member of the goldfinch family that winters in the area but nests farther north.