Bird-friendly Buildings
White-throated Sparrow that collided with a building. Photo: Winston Qin
REFLECTIVE GLASS IS LETHAL
- Birds can't detect clear glass as a barrier. Instead, they see reflections of sky and surrounding habitat.
- New York City, with its skyscrapers and huge swaths of reflective glass, poses a particular threat to over 100 species of migratory birds, some of which are experiencing long-term population declines.
- Over 1 billion birds die due to building collisions each year in the United States. However, bird-friendly solutions do exist.
To protect birds, we advocate for:
- Legislation that requires buildings to use bird-friendly materials to make the city safer for birds and more sustainable for people.
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Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, sits in a tree in Central Park. Photo: @Rhododendrites
TAKE ACTION FOR THE FLACO ACT
NYC Bird Alliance supports the FLACO Act (“Feathered Lives Also Count” Act) , which honors the impact Flaco, a non-native Eurasian Eagle-Owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo in 2023, had on New York City. This law will require any new or significantly altered state buildings to incorporate bird-friendly designs, particularly in their windows.
Introduced in the NY State Senate by State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (District 47) and the NY State Assembly by State Assemblymember Dr. Anna R. Kelles (District 125), the FLACO Act would amend the public buildings law to incorporate the use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with state-owned or state-leased buildings.
Introduced in the NY State Senate by State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (District 47) and the NY State Assembly by State Assemblymember Dr. Anna R. Kelles (District 125), the FLACO Act would amend the public buildings law to incorporate the use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies to reduce bird fatality resulting from collisions with state-owned or state-leased buildings.
