Mid-September to mid-October is one of the busiest times for birds migrating to warmer, southern climes. Sadly, many will never reach their destination. A study from the American Bird Conservancy released in August found that collisions with buildings resulted in the deaths of more than a billion birds in the United States alone each year.
The city of Vancouver is working to reduce the number of bird deaths locally by becoming a bird-friendly city. Working in partnership with Vancouver Audubon Society and Bird Alliance of Oregon, the city is developing green, bird-friendly building codes for new development to be included in the city’s 20-year growth plan.
“Our impetus to include this in our green building strategies comes from outreach (Vancouver Audubon) started around 2021 or 2022, when the city was developing its climate action framework,” said Rebecca Small, a senior policy analyst for the city of Vancouver.
Updated city codes will include requirements for window treatments that help birds identify glass as a hard surface, as well as management of nighttime light pollution.
To Learn More
Want to know which birds are flying overhead? Go to birdcast.info and enter Clark County in the migration dashboard for detailed information on species, migration numbers and more.
“Bird window strikes are a leading cause of bird mortality, second only to deaths from cats,” said Susan Saul, conservation director for Vancouver Audubon. “In the Portland metro area, over 90 native bird species have been found injured or dead from hitting a window. The underlying cause of this mortality is that birds do not perceive windows as a barrier.”
Estimates range from 54 percent to 76 percent but most bird collisions with windows are fatal. Saul said for every collision victim found, another three typically go unseen. The increased use of large expanses of highly glazed or ultra-clear glass in building design presents a particular challenge for birds.
“They see a reflection of trees, shrubs and sky as a continuation of habitat and fly into it. Birds may attempt to fly through an area the size of an average handprint,” Saul said.
Small said putting new building codes into effect is especially important given that the city’s growth and demand for housing isn’t likely to end soon.
“We’re doing so much development, and now we use a lot more glass in buildings. … We’re trying to make the birds aware this is a hard surface. This is not something they can fly right through,” Small said. “It’s not to say anything negative about glass buildings. It’s a wonderful building material; it creates spaces that people are comfortable in. … It’s just a couple of simple measures that we can do to treat the glass.”
Those measures could include something as simple as adding stickers to windows or installing glass embedded with a pattern, such as horizontal lines, dots or a grid, Small said.
Saul said visual markers placed every 2 to 4 inches on windows can deter bird strikes, but noted a single decal is not enough to eliminate the strike hazard.
“Bird-safe glass in new construction or building retrofits is the best solution,” she said.
Dark skies overhead
The other area of concern for Vancouver Audubon and the city is nighttime lighting that complies with principles established by DarkSky International. Light pollution from buildings, homes, streetlights, sports fields and others can severely disrupt migration patterns. Many bird species migrate at night to avoid predators. Birds also use the nighttime rotation of stars to navigate.
“Artificial lighting disorients birds and can lure them into a city. This may result in impact with lit buildings,” Saul said. “Reducing unnecessary overnight lighting not only helps minimize building strikes but also reduces light pollution.”
Light pollution can attract birds, which can end up circling the lights for prolonged periods thinking it’s a reflection off water. The birds eventually become exhausted, leaving them vulnerable to predation and other threats.
“It’s just being thoughtful about how we select lighting fixtures, making sure that we have shielding so that light is directed downwards instead of shining upwards into the air, choosing light bulbs that are the correct temperature,” Small said.
It’s not just birds that are affected by artificial lights. Researchers found that the nocturnal feeding cycles for some bat species were disrupted by artificial lights at the edge of urban forests. Slower-flying bat species were the most effected. The researchers found that dark urban habitat was essential for high urban bat diversity.
“Part of what makes our little region of the country, this place we call home, what makes it special is that we have this abundance of wildlife,” Small said. “If we can be better stewards of that wildlife with just a couple of simple, thoughtful changes, then I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”
Vancouver City Council will review the proposed codes during a Dec. 16 workshop.
Lead by example
Vancouver already has an example of bird-friendly building design at the Port of Vancouver.
“Given our location near habitat and along the migratory flight paths for various bird species, the port has put bird-safe standards in place for buildings across our footprint,” said Casey Bowman, communications director for the port.
At the Terminal 1 building complex, Bowman said the port worked with its development partners to ensure lighting, glass features and vegetation would minimize potential collisions.
“At our marine and industrial locations, we’ve put in place similar bird-safe standards for port- and tenant-owned buildings,” Bowman said.
It seems at least some of the concerns voiced by groups like Vancouver Audubon, Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and neighbors, have been heard by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
In August, tribal officials said they were working to address light pollution coming from a row of exterior lights at the ilani hotel and casino complex. Hotel management said it would replace the existing undimmable light bulbs with new bulbs that will be dimmed overnight.
Local residents can also adopt bird-friendly measures at home. From stickers, banners and window markers to light shields and dark-sky light bulbs, sites like American Bird Conservancy and Feather Friendly, as well as popular retailers such as Amazon.com, offer a variety of do-it-yourself solutions.
“I know several people locally, including myself, who have added anti-bird collision materials to the windows on their homes. It is inexpensive and easy to apply,” Saul said.
