Next to cats, buildings are the biggest killer of birds

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The birds are falling from the skies — and it’s dead wrong.

The Fatal Fight Awareness Program Canada laid out 2,000 of the 1 million migratory birds killed in building collisions last year in Toronto at the Ontario Science Centre on Thursday.

“The deaths are easily preventable,” said Michael Mesure, executive director of FLAP. “The biggest challenge is to get people to embrace the issue.”

Toronto was the first city in North America to introduce bird-friendly development guidelines which are designed to mute the reflection coming from building windows in skyscrapers.

Building collisions are the second leading cause of deaths for bird. The first is cats. 

The trouble is getting some older building on board and residential houses also contribute to deaths.

Mesure says there are cost-effective and aesthetically-pleasing window treatments to save the birds.

City pigeons and sparrows have adapted to avoiding the sheets of glass in the downtown, but it’s a whole new environment for the migratory birds — some on the endangered list.

During the day, the birds can see the reflection of the sky or trees in the glass windows and fly into them. At night, the birds are attracted to the light which can result in a bird strike.

Mesure says it is in everyone’s best interest to save the birds as they help control the insect population, pollinate plants and distribute seeds.

He also said without birds, a large part of the economy would fly out the door.

“It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry from people buying bird seed for their feeders to bird watching. People come from all over the world to places like Point Pelee to bird watch and rent cars, hotels rooms and eat in restaurants,” Mesure said.

The Royal Ontario Museum takes some of dead birds collected by FLAP for research, education and display.

Olivia Colling, a masters biology student at Western University, was at the Science Centre to take back 150 birds for a thesis paper.

“I’m going to X-ray them to determine the age of the birds and see if young birds are more likely to collide than adults. Maybe we can incorporate demographics into prevention,” Colling said.

Akshay Shah, 11, from Heritage Park Public School, said he was saddened by the display of dead birds.

“They are beautiful and people are selfish if they don’t want to help save them,” Shah said.