Chicago Bird Collision Monitors Count Over 1,000 Birds Killed or Injured in a Single Weekend
On October 17 and 18, volunteers from Chicago Bird Collision Monitors found more than 1,000 birds that were either dead or injured in downtown Chicago and Evanston, a figure that director Annette Prince believes is likely an underestimate. The search was limited to a small area, leaving the total losses uncertain. On October 16, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's BirdCast noted that over five million birds were migrating through Cook County, with a staggering one billion across the country. In the U.S., Chicago's glass and lighting contribute to approximately one billion bird fatalities each year. Following nearly 1,000 bird deaths at McCormick Place in October 2023, $1.2 million was allocated for bird-friendly initiatives, with advocates calling for a citywide bird-friendly building ordinance.
Key facts
- More than 1,000 birds were killed or injured in window collisions in the Chicago area over the weekend of October 17-18
- Volunteers with Chicago Bird Collision Monitors searched downtown Chicago and the suburb of Evanston
- Annette Prince directs Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and said the count is likely an undercount
- BirdCast recorded more than five million birds flying through Cook County on the evening of October 16
- An estimated one billion birds die in U.S. building collisions each year
- North America has lost roughly three billion birds, about 29 percent of its population, since 1970
- McCormick Place Lakeside Center spent $1.2 million on bird-safe film before the 2024 fall migration, reducing collision deaths by more than 90 percent
- A bird-friendly building ordinance is under language revision in Chicago's zoning committee, with similar laws already passed in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Entities
Artists
- Annette Prince
- Jennifer Bell
- Nic Flosi
- Kaitlin Washburn
- Patty Wetli
- Adriana Pérez
- Janelle Mella
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- Chicago Bird Collision Monitors
- Chicago Sun-Times
- WTTW
- Fox 32 Chicago
- Chicago Tribune
- Block Club Chicago
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- BirdCast
- McCormick Place Lakeside Center
- Tribune News Service
- Getty Images
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Evanston
- Illinois
- Cook County
- Mississippi Flyway
- North America
- Central America
- South America
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
- Longmont
- Colorado
- Aldabra Atoll
- Shanghai