SMRA President Valerie Lyle and Board member Richard Saravay participated in the semi-annual meeting of the New York Audubon Council in October. At this gathering of New York Audubon chapters, two important issues, each with a specific relationship to climate change and carbon emissions, were discussed.

Clean energy using off shore wind power is in the early planning stage on a site proposed about 11 miles off the coast of southern Long Island. Producing energy with little carbon emission is clearly good, but the proposed development of about 175 rotating wind turbines more than 400 feet tall poses a threat to migrating birds as reported in earlier wind turbine projects on land. Audubon seeks to ensure that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including public comments, be part of the initial steps, with a goal of highlighting bird migration pathways and, if required, seeking to relocate the development to sites which mitigate the threat.

Hudson River anchorages have been proposed to be built in the middle of the river at seven locations from Yonkers to Kingston. This proposal is intended to permit significant growth of oil transport both up and down the Hudson night and day. Locations near us would impact the Lower Hudson Important Bird Area, Bald Eagle breeding and roosting sites. Audubon New York and SMRA will provide public comments to the U.S. Coast Guard prior to the December 6th deadline highlighting the environmental threats in this proposal.
The Council’s legislative resolution passed at the fall meeting also noted the need for an EIS for the proposed anchorages.

Richard Saravay

For more about our shared advocacy efforts with Audubon New York, visit ny.audubon.org/conservation

On a recent walk around the New York Life Insurance Building in Sleepy Hollow, I found seven carcasses of birds.

This is no anomaly: bird strikes are a major factor in declining populations. Each year in the U.S. an estimated 365 million to 988 million birds die from collisions with glass (Audubon magazine). The birds most often affected include Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Painted Bunting, and hummingbirds.

Birds hit commercial buildings, houses, sliding glass doors, and bay windows: any glass surface larger than a hand, under the right lighting conditions, because windows reflecting the surrounding habitat may look like a flight route to a bird.

What can be done about this problem?

• Buy bird-safe window materials. American Bird Conservancy rates certain products as “Effective” and “Highly Effective” in preventing collisions.
• Currently there are three commercial products rated as Highly Effective and six as Effective; all are intended for application on existing windows.
• If you work in companies that have large glass expanses, discuss with your building engineering department the value of installing bird-safe modifications to windows.
• Lobby for tax breaks for companies that are willing to install new bird-friendly windows or apply bird-friendly tape, especially if they have multiple large buildings.
• Apply household glue to outside windows and add sparkles in wavy lines less than 6 inches apart.

Valerie Heemstra
To find out more, visit www.abcbirds.org/program/glass-collisions

More Resources

• Cornell’s All About Birds has a helpful page about birds and windows.
• Massachusetts Audubon has some additional info and tips about bird window collisions here
• Mass Audubon also offers a helpful page about birds attacking their own window reflections, a different issue most often seen in spring.