Nearly 1,000 birds died flying into glass in Chicago, Evanston this past weekend, group says

This past weekend, more than 1,000 birds were killed flying into buildings in Chicago and Evanston, advocates for bird safety said.

Chicago Bird Collision Monitors said it worked across downtown Chicago and at the Northwestern University campus in Evanston to document bird deaths and rescue injured birds.

The coalition Bird Friendly Chicago, of which Chicago Bird Coalition Monitors is a part, said the building collisions documented the need for protective measures to keep migratory birds safe.

Millions of migratory birds pass through the Chicago area every spring and fall. The coalition said glass buildings are a serious hazard, as the reflection of trees and the sky confuse birds — leading them to think they can fly through the glass.

Birds often hit the glass at 30 mph and suffer fatal brain trauma or other serious injuries, Chicago Bird Friendly Chicago said.

"Major events like this occur because Chicago is a major migratory path for millions of birds, and it's why we need major protections to safeguard these irreplaceable and valuable creatures that pass through all parts of our city each year," Chicago Bird Collision Monitors director Annette Prince said in a news release. "Chicago must require that future buildings use bird-friendly building designs and materials so we do not add to the devastating toll existing structures take on bird life."

This is not a new problem. Back in October 2023, nearly 1,000 birds died on a single day after crashing into the windows of McCormick Place. But Bird Friendly Chicago noted that the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority has since put visible markers on the glass at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center, and bird collisions there fell 95% afterward.

Bird Friendly Chicago is calling for the passage of a Bird-Friendly Building Design Ordinance for new construction. The ordinance was introduced by Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) in March and cleared the City Council Rules Committee in July, and is now undergoing language revision in the Zoning Committee, the coalition said.

Similar laws are also on the books in New York City and Washington, D.C.