The Urgent Need for Bird-Safe Design in Ontario: How Photography is Raising Awareness
‘When Worlds Collide’ © Patricia Homonylo.
As a real estate photographer and nature lover, I've occasionally encountered the heartbreaking sight of birds that have collided with windows and lost their lives. Witnessing these incidents firsthand has underscored the urgency of addressing this issue.
Toronto photographer Patricia Homonylo, winner of the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year award, has brought widespread attention to this crisis with her powerful image When Worlds Collide. This striking photograph depicts over 4,000 birds that died after colliding with glass windows in the Greater Toronto Area collected and arranged by volunteers from the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP). These birds represent just a fraction of the 42 million birds lost annually in Canada and millions more worldwide due to window strikes. Migratory birds, misled by reflective surfaces, are fatally drawn to these invisible barriers, especially during migration seasons.
Homonylo's image, along with experiences like mine, underscores the urgent need for changes to the Ontario Building Code. By advocating for the inclusion of bird-safe designs, we can prevent such needless deaths and promote more sustainable urban development.
Why Do Birds Collide with Glass Windows?
via FLAP
Birds often mistake the reflections in glass—trees, sky, or other natural elements—for open air, causing them to fly directly into windows. This problem is particularly acute during migration seasons when millions of birds pass through urban centres like Toronto. However, the issue isn't exclusive to urban skyscrapers. Suburban homes and rural properties are also at risk. If you’ve ever found a dead bird outside near a window or sliding door in your home, it likely collided with the glass because it couldn’t see the barrier. Glass façades on homes, both urban and rural, can be equally dangerous to birds.
FLAP and Bird-Safe Glass
The Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) is at the forefront of advocating for bird-safe building practices across Ontario. They promote the CSA A460-19 Bird-Friendly Building Design standard, which outlines practical guidelines for reducing bird collisions, such as using bird-safe glass treated with decals, films, or patterns that make it visible to birds. These designs help prevent tragic incidents by alerting birds to the presence of windows.
Bird-safe decal installation by Feather Friendly
Incorporating these standards into Ontario’s Building Code for new developments would ensure that all buildings, from suburban homes to urban high-rises, are safer for birds while maintaining their visual appeal.
The Environmental Impact of Fewer Birds
A decline in bird populations can lead to several negative environmental outcomes. Birds play a crucial role in pest control by eating large quantities of insects, including agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes. With fewer birds, insect populations could surge, potentially leading to crop damage, an increase in pest-borne diseases, and overall ecosystem imbalances.
Additionally, birds are vital pollinators and seed dispersers, helping plants grow and regenerate. Fewer birds mean fewer seeds spread across landscapes, impacting plant diversity and forest regeneration. Birds also contribute to nutrient cycling, which helps maintain soil health, ensuring that ecosystems remain vibrant and sustainable.
Without birds, ecosystems could become more vulnerable to other stressors, such as climate change, which would further destabilize natural environments.
The Emerging Threat of Urban Lighting
TD Bank's new Toronto skyscraper is sparking controversy for its bright nighttime lighting. via CTVNews
In addition to glass collisions, brightly lit urban buildings pose a growing threat to migratory birds. Many species of birds migrate at night, using natural light from the moon, stars, and the setting sun to navigate. However, artificial lighting from city buildings and bright LED displays disrupts these cues, pulling birds off course and leading to exhaustion or fatal collisions with buildings.
Birds are particularly vulnerable on foggy or rainy nights when cloud cover is low, causing them to fly at lower altitudes. In these conditions, they are more easily disoriented by city lights and may be drawn into downtown areas where they collide with buildings. Lights such as floodlights, lighthouses, and airport ceilometers (light beams used to measure cloud altitude) are also dangerous as they can trap birds within beams of light until they drop from exhaustion.
New York, for example, has taken a leading role by implementing mandatory "lights out" regulations for state-owned and managed buildings. This policy requires non-essential outdoor lights to be turned off during peak bird migration seasons with the goal of reducing light pollution and protecting migratory birds from being drawn off course.
© savebirdsto
Toronto has begun similar efforts with its "Lights Out Toronto" program, but participation is voluntary, limiting its effectiveness. If Toronto and other cities across Ontario are to fully embrace their responsibility in protecting migratory birds, it is crucial to shift towards mandatory policies that require buildings, particularly in urban areas, to turn off or dim unnecessary lights during peak migration seasons. These measures, combined with bird-safe glass designs, are essential for minimizing harm to migratory birds and fostering a more sustainable urban environment.
How Can We Prevent These Collisions?
Fortunately, the solution is simple: bird-safe building designs. FLAP has been at the forefront of advocating for the adoption of the CSA A460-19 Bird-Friendly Building Design standard, which outlines easy-to-implement changes like using bird-safe glass, applying decals, or installing screens. These measures make windows visible to birds, significantly reducing collisions. These requirements should be enforced across all building types, including high-rises, condos, suburban homes and rural properties.
Peak Bird Migration Seasons: In Ontario, the spring migration season runs from April to May, and the fall migration season spans September to October. During these periods, millions of birds pass through the province, making it crucial to implement bird-friendly building and lighting strategies to prevent fatalities. The migration is so large that it can even be seen on weather radar, as demonstrated by Ontario Storm Watch on Sept. 21, 2024. Birds tend to migrate at night to avoid predators and benefit from the cooler temperatures, making nighttime lighting strategies even more critical.
How You Can Help
There are several ways you can support the movement for bird-safe designs in Ontario:
Sign the Petition | Join others in advocating for bird-safe building codes here.
Join Industry Professionals & NGOs | If you're a professional in construction, architecture, or an NGO, add your name to the joint letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing here.
Send a Letter to Your MPP | Let your local representative know the importance of enacting bird-safe building legislation here.
Install Bird-Safe Glass or Decals at Home | You can make a direct impact by adding bird-safe glass or applying window decals to your own home. Companies like Feather Friendly, based in Mississauga, ON, offer effective and easy-to-apply window decals that help reduce bird collisions. You can learn more about their products here. More info from FLAP here.
Speak to Private Building Owners, Landlords and Managers | Encourage building decision makers to implement bird-safe glass decals or turn off unnecessary lights, especially during peak migration seasons. Small changes, such as turning off exterior lights at night or installing decals, can help save countless migratory birds during their long journeys.
Building a Safer Future for Birds
Bird collisions with windows are preventable, and the solution lies in thoughtful design. Simple measures like applying bird-safe materials to glass, reducing reflectivity, and turning off unnecessary lights during migration seasons can make a significant difference. High-rise buildings, suburban homes, and rural properties alike should be designed with these considerations, as their large reflective surfaces and bright lights pose an outsized risk to bird populations.
Homonylo’s award-winning photograph, combined with FLAP’s ongoing advocacy, highlights the urgent need for action. By supporting these initiatives and advocating for bird-safe building standards, we can help prevent the deaths of millions of birds each year and protect Ontario’s ecological balance.
For more information and ways to contribute, visit FLAP Canada.
