Chicago Proposes Bird-Friendly Ordinance

Chicago is taking a stand for birds, and we’re totally behind it.

You know how much we love birds.

I mean, everyone should love birds. And we’re part of everyone, so obviously we do as well. (If that’s not compelling enough for you, feel free to read up on some bird-centric goodness here or here.)

As we’ve discussed before, cities are extremely dangerous for birds, and Chicago is one of the biggest offenders. In fact, it has the dubious honor of being the riskiest skyline in the country when it comes to avian traffic, contributing hugely to the billion bird deaths from collision each year.

It hardly bears saying that we need to do something about it.

Which is why we were delighted to discover that Chicago has proposed a bird-friendly building ordinance that will mandate city-wide protection of our feathered friends and do much to promote urban ecology.

What Does the Ordinance Propose?

The problem with buildings are twofold:

• During the day or when lights are off, they reflect the sky and effectively mimic it. When birds don’t see a building coming, they crash into at full speed, often dying from the impact.
• At night when the lights are on inside, birds get blinded and confused, and can’t navigate effectively. The same goes for external lighting, especially the kind that stays on all night long, regardless of who’s there.

The ordinance address these issues by mandating that new of retrofitted buildings:

• Limit transparent and reflective glass on the outside of the building
• Use patterned glass that birds will steer clear of in situations where impacts are known to occur
• Reduce exterior lighting
• Reduce interior lighting at night with timers, motion activation and window coverings
• Avoid reflecting greenery
• Avoid placing transparent glass in front of greenery

Taken together, these will do much to increase bird safety, even in Chicago’s notorious skies. Plus, these codes, if passed, will apply to retrofits as well as new buildings. Over time, this will mean a safer and safer environment for our flying friends ... and who doesn’t want that?

Keep up with the ordinance here, and make sure your vote counts when the time comes!

In the meantime, please get in touch if you want help creating a space for urban ecology to flourish. At Ecogardens, that’s our raison d' être, and we would love to help you at any time.