By Nicole Rivard 

Located along Chicago’s lakefront and minutes from downtown, McCormick Place touts itself as the largest, most versatile convention facility in North America, offering over 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. 

But until recently it was also known as the deadliest building in the city for migratory birds—nearly 1,000 migrating birds met their deaths there on Oct. 5, 2023. Birds hit glass because they perceive reflections of vegetation, landscapes or sky to be real.  

That fall, the convention center started closing drapes and blinds overnight where possible and turning off nonessential exterior lights. It also participates in the Lights Out Chicago program, shutting off interior lights when the building is unoccupied 

In the summer of 2024, workers installed bird-safe window film on nearly two football fields of glass with a 2″x2″ dot pattern. The result— bird collision deaths dropped by as much as 95% within months. Simple changes can make a remarkable difference, which should be an inspiration to anyone who cares about birds. 

Several years ago, Smithsonian Institution researchers estimated that homes and other buildings one to three stories tall account for about 253 million bird deaths annually. Larger, low-rise buildings four to 11 stories high cause 339 million deaths. And high-rise buildings, 11 floors and higher, kill 508,000 total birds annually. 

Fall migration is the most dangerous season for warblers and, overall, the bird population in the US continues to decline. It is incumbent on us to help our feathered friends. 

The plight of warblers 

A study published in the spring in Global Change Biology shows that during post-breeding south-bound migration, light pollution and developed landscapes—urban and suburban—are contributing to the decline of warbler species like the Common Yellowthroat, Connecticut Warbler and Prairie Warbler.  

For birds who rely on stars to navigate, bright lights can disorient them and increase the risk of collisions with buildings and other human-made structures. And even though suburban communities have more green space than cities, non-native plants often dominate the landscape and birds often must contend with outdoor cats. 

While technological advances have revolutionized the way we communicate, birds are paying the price with their lives. Each year, approximately seven million birds collide with communication towers in North America because of the steady-burning red lights that ensure the safety of aircraft, according to the American Bird Conservancy. By switching those lights, bird fatality rates can be reduced by more than 70%. Birds are not as likely to be attracted to and collide with towers that are lit with only red flashing lights or white flashing lights. 

Prairies converted to agricultural land and suburban development not only take away the grasses that attract the insects that birds eat, but they also create pollution from pesticides people use to alter the landscape. In addition, converting natural vegetation into pastures for livestock is the challenge most associated with the declines of species such as Virginia’s Warbler and Grace’s Warbler.  

One-third of U.S. birds need conservation action 

In March, a coalition of leading science and conservation organizations released the State of the Birds report that found that more than one-third of U.S. bird species (229) are of high or moderate conservation concern, including 112 Tipping Point species that have lost more than 50% of their populations in the last 50 years. That includes 42 Red-Alert species facing perilously low populations, such as the Allen’s Hummingbird, Tricolored Blackbird and Saltmarsh Sparrow — birds that are at risk without immediate intervention.  

Most notably, duck populations, which have been a bright spot in past State of the Birds reports, have trended downward in recent years. 

“The rapid declines in birds signal the intensifying stressors that wildlife and people alike are experiencing around the world because of habitat loss, environmental degradation, and extreme weather events,” said Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population Studies. “When we see declines like those outlined in the report, we need to remember that if conditions are not healthy for birds, they’re unlikely to be healthy for us.” 

Grassland birds of the Midwest and Great Plains have been particularly hard hit— this group of birds holds the most “tipping point” species due to the national collapse of their habitat. Most native grassland has disappeared due to agriculture, livestock grazing, fire suppression, woody plant invasion and drought.  

But there is good news: People’s interest in birds is at an all-time high. Nearly 100 million Americans are engaged in birding activities, which contribute $279 billion to the economy, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Birding-related activities support 1.4 million jobs. 

Just think what could be accomplished if all those people took measures to protect birds in their own backyards and supported organizations like Friends of Animals that place critical habitat protection at the core of their mission. 

Together, we can recover bird populations and help ourselves. 

“Fortunately, many of the actions that are good for birds are good for us. When we protect the habitats that birds rely upon, we also protect the ecosystem services that sustain us,” said Rodewald.  

 
TAKE ACTION 

Window dressing: Acopian BirdSavers are long-lasting hanging cords; Feather Friendly are durable adhesive squares installed in strips; ABC BirdTape is a durable translucent tape applied on the outside of the glass. 

Lights out. Turn off all non-essential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during migration season. Do not use landscape lighting to light up trees where birds may be resting. Close blinds at night. For essential lights (like security lighting) aim lights down and use motion detectors so lights are only on when you need them. 

Keep cats indoors. Cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year in the U.S. alone, making cat predation by far the largest source of direct, human-caused mortality to birds. 

Stop using poisons. Rat poisons kill raptors like Swainson’s Hawk, owls, and eagles, while weed-killers and insecticides can be lethal to songbirds. 

Plant natives: Planting bird- and insect-friendly native plants, trees and shrubs will sustain wintering, migrating, and breeding birds. 

Get involved in community-wide change. ABC has created model language as a starting point for cities, states, universities, businesses and any entity interested in regulating new construction to reduce bird mortality from collisions with glass. Visit: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/model-ordinance/ 

Press tower owners to change lighting. The Songbird Saver app (songbirdsaver.org) allows users to quickly find towers that need to change their lights and contact tower operators. It also includes a template that can be used to help craft messages to the tower owners in your area. 

Support wildlife rehabbers, like NYC’s Wild Bird Fund (wildbirdfund.org) in your community. They rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned wildlife and release them back to the wilds.