Harlem condo residents come up with a solution to prevent bird collisions
The towering glass structures in New York City have proven to be fatal for our feathered friends as they often collide into the windows, resulting in their untimely death.
Residents of a condo building in Harlem have taken action to enhance the safety of birds in their area.
Residents of Harlem, including avid bird enthusiast Susan Shaw, have been experiencing a disturbance at Circa Central Park located on West 110th Street.
Shaw shared that upon realizing that her windows were being hit, she took the initiative of applying stickers on her terrace windows. However, despite her efforts, the windows above and beside hers were still being hit.
It’s that time of year again, when the occurrences happen like clockwork. It’s also a common sight during the spring migration of birds.
Shaw exclaimed that at times, when he glanced out of the window, he would spot hundreds of birds outside.
The birds find their final resting place on her terrace and other areas outside of the building.
According to Jessica Wilson, a member of the New York City Audubon, birds are unable to see glass since they haven’t been taught visual cues like humans. Instead, they mistake reflections of sky, vegetation, and water for the real thing.
As birds fly around, they may come across a reflection of a tree and mistake it for the real thing. Unfortunately, this can lead to injury or even death when they collide with the hard surface. Luckily, there is now a solution to prevent this problem.
The owners of the condos in the area collaborated with New York City Audubon to solve the problem of bird collisions with windows. To achieve this, they covered many windows with small, translucent dots.
As they fly through the sky, birds catch sight of markings that bring them to a sudden halt in their flight.
Shaw expressed his relief, stating, “It has significantly reduced the number of birds on my terrace now that the windows above me have been taken care of.”
Other tenants are encouraged by the recent changes to follow suit. The Javits Center has recently upgraded to more bird-friendly windows, and NYU installed a similar version years ago.
According to Wilson, losing birds has a negative impact on people as it results in a decrease in plants, insects, and overall nature. “When there are fewer birds, there is a ripple effect on the whole ecosystem,” he emphasized.
Also Read:
- Many New York City Residents Oppose Construction of World
- Multiple Fulton apartment residents arrested for drug sales, possession
- Residents of Florida Keys get rare chance to see pink flamingos
- Evergreen residents worried about their expensive energy bills
