As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday 22 August 2014

San Francisco to Tally Bird-Into-Window Death Toll

SAN FRANCISCO — Aug 21, 2014, 3:45 PM ET

San Francisco officials have launched a program to document the number of birds that die by crashing into windows in an effort to reduce such collisions.

The city's planning department is seeking volunteers to count the number of dead birds around their homes each week during peak migration periods, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Wednesday (http://bit.ly/YERUjW). The participants would then log that information on a city website.

Officials say the goal is to raise awareness about the dangers windows pose to birds and get better numbers about how many birds are dying that way.

"So far, there hasn't been enough scientific data gathered on bird-window collisions in urban residential settings," said Cindy Margulis, executive director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

At least 100 million birds die each year in North America by striking windows, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The group says far more birds die by colliding with windows or glass buildings than by hitting wind turbines or cellphone towers.

A San Francisco ordinance passed three years ago requires new development projects to treat some windows with netting, frosted glass or similar bird deterrents. The ordinance mainly applies to new commercial buildings or large additions to existing commercial buildings if they stand in bird flight paths or are near parks or the shoreline, the Chronicle reported.

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