A Billion Busted Birds
They're migrating through southwest Virginia now, on their way, many of them, to what's left of the Gulf Coast, then beyond for some, to Central and South America. It's not easy being winged. And way many don't make it. Part of the problem that kills perhaps as many as a billion birds a year, is city lights and glass windows of skyscrapers. Some cities (like New York) are dimming their lights or taking other measures to reduce the mortality.
These migrations have always been dangerous, but have become even more perilous as birds navigate through and around our cities. It is estimated that 100 million birds are killed every year in the United States alone through collisions with buildings. Second only to habitat loss as a cause of declining populations, some experts believe the number is even higher, perhaps as many as one billion killed annually. The height of tall buildings in New York City, the frequent use of reflective or simply transparent glass, and the illumination of, and within, these structures is a major component of injury and mortality for birds.