More than 300 birds that had crashed into windows across the Greater Toronto Area were found last Wednesday by a volunteer-based organization that finds and keeps records on bird safety.
Most did not survive.
It’s an easy problem to fix, according to Michael Mesure, executive director of Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP). But a lack of incentive means few make the changes required, he told CBC Toronto.
During a bird-patrol outing in Markham on Wednesday, Mesure found 20 birds around just one building in Markham. He gingerly placed the only survivor of the bunch in a paper bag with plans to take it to a rehabilitation centre.
“There’s not much we really can do other than keep it calm and as stress-free as we can in the hopes that it can recuperate from that,” Mesure said while on patrol.
“It’s tragic that the death rate is so high.”
As of 2022, Toronto has required windows on certain new builds to have collision deterrence, but the regulation does not apply to most residential buildings or existing ones. According to the ‘s latest self-reported evaluation for a national bird safe cities program obtained by CBC Toronto, the standard is not enforced and “there are no buildings completed in the City that adhere” to the guideline.
To make a difference, Mesure said the guidelines need to be enforced.
“We’ve got to get these buildings retrofitted if we ever stand a chance at really getting on top of this problem,” he said.
The City of Toronto did not respond to CBC’s request for comment in time for the deadline outlined in the request.
Culprit buildings have windows reflecting greenery
In the last 50 years, North American bird populations have dropped by billions, according to a 2019 report in the journal Science.
This time of year is particularly deadly, Mesure said, because it’s when many species migrate. In the last month, about 2,000 birds died from collisions with buildings around the GTA, according to the Global Bird Collision Mapper, a digital reporting tool that allows volunteers and members of the public to record enter and track the locations of bird collisions with buildings.
On patrol, FLAP volunteers record any injuries or deaths they find into a database and bring injured birds to rehabilitation centres. Some days, they find hundreds of birds, Mesure said.
Most killer culprits are buildings under 20 metres tall with windows reflecting nearby trees, bushes or grassland, Mesure said. Birds struggle to tell the difference between the reflections and real greenery.
“These birds aren’t stupid. We’ve created an illusion that causes harm. It’s relatively easy to rectify,” he said.
Collisions can be prevented by making the surface of the window visibly distinct from nature in a way that birds are able to see. This could look like opaque patterns or dots imprinted on the glass, said Mesure.
Because of its reporting, Mesure said FLAP knows which buildings kill the most birds, but it’s difficult to incentivize building owners to treat their windows because doing so is expensive.
Replace one window can cost hundreds of dollars, he said.
“There’s not really a return in it for people other than the goodness of their heart,” he said. “It’s not like … that’s somehow going to put money back in the owner’s pocket.”
‘Bird-friendly’ cities
Markham requires new builds to include collision deterrence strategies in site plans. Markham’s sustainability and asset management director, Graham Seaman, said the city also has awareness campaigns to encourage individuals to have bird-safe glass on private property.
“We don’t really have any tools with which to compel anyone to make a retrofit,” Seaman said. “If [complaints get] significant, we may put a call into the building owner and encourage them.”
Toronto is a certified “bird-friendly city” by Nature Canada, a national conservation charity. To be certified, cities must meet a minimum requirement of threat reduction, environmental protection and community outreach.
The bird-friendly cities certification program does not include a category to track enforcement of the window requirements.
Window collisions kill as many as a million birds a year in Canada, especially during spring and early October migrations. Some Canadian cities are trying out solutions, like bird-friendly designs for new buildings.
Autumn Jordan, the organizer of the bird friendly cities program, says the lack of enforcement is not unique to Toronto. She said the city is a leader in the program and was one of the first in North America to agree to become bird-friendly.
“For all of the lack of enforcement, there are still more buildings being built with bird-safe glass,” said Jordan.
Difficulties collecting data
Both Toronto and Markham’s bird safety plans defer data collection and outreach for existing buildings to FLAP. Jordan said this is common across Canadian municipalities, not just the GTA.
But Mesure said FLAP still runs into challenges when collecting data, including being kicked off private properties while on patrol.
“Sometimes security, building owners don’t want us here,” he said.
He said finding birds quickly is necessary for the data to be accurate because their bodies are often taken by scavengers. Or, if injured, they may fly away only to die later somewhere else.
He said not having records of the extent of the problem makes it harder to advocate for changes to be made.
“People, they often need to see it to believe it,” he said.
