Slog
News & ArtsThursday, September 15, 2011
Animals / Architecture Bird News
Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 8:25 AM
90,000 of them smash into New York City buildings every year.
3
@1, birdkilling outdoor cats are being outdone by glass-clad buildings, according to Curry and Kerlinger LLC, "Consultants to the Wind Power Industry on birds and other wildlife issues", who compiled this list from what they claim to be legitimate sources:
Glass Windows Bird Deaths a year: 100 to 900+ millionhttp://www.currykerlinger.com/birds.htm
Dr. Daniel Klem of Muhlenberg College has done studies over a period of 20 years, looking at bird collisions with windows. His conclusion: glass kills more birds than any other human related factor.
House Cats Bird Deaths a year: 100 Million
The National Audubuon Society says 100 million birds a year fall prey to cats. Dr. Stan Temple of the University of Wisconsin estimates that in Wisconsin alone, about 7 million birds a year are killed by cats.
Automobiles / Trucks Bird Deaths a year: 50 to 100 Million
Scientists estimate the number of birds killed by cars and trucks on the nation's highways to be 50 to 100 million a year. Those statistics were cited in reports published by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Electric Transmission Line Collisions Bird Deaths a year: up to 174 million
Estimates made by the U.S. Fish and Wildife Service demonstrate millions of birds die each year as a result of colliding with transmission lines[...]
4
@3 - I will always love the (largely fictitious) demise of the Stephens Island Wren at the paws of Tibbles.
5
So, Gus, more than a billion birds get killed every year, and they're still fucking everywhere you look? Jesus, it's pretty hard to get all weepy about that.
7
The article notes that habitat loss is more critical to species survival than collisions. As long as habitat is preserved, species will repopulate it, so individual losses, while sad, are less critical.
The article also notes that the majority of collisions are at lower floors, as when birds take off from nearby parks and plazas. It's important to note that while high-rise buildings have lower floors, so do all buildings. The patio doors on my parents' modest suburban house have been subject to a number of collisions, although most of the victims survived. They lie around stunned for awhile, then shake it off and fly away.
Given that cities have much less greenspace than the suburbs, I'd bet that suburbia probably is responsible for many more collisions than the cities.
The article also notes that the majority of collisions are at lower floors, as when birds take off from nearby parks and plazas. It's important to note that while high-rise buildings have lower floors, so do all buildings. The patio doors on my parents' modest suburban house have been subject to a number of collisions, although most of the victims survived. They lie around stunned for awhile, then shake it off and fly away.
Given that cities have much less greenspace than the suburbs, I'd bet that suburbia probably is responsible for many more collisions than the cities.
8
@4, fucking Tibbles, man.
@5, a man who can narrow his view enough need never weep. I declare that an epigram.
@5, a man who can narrow his view enough need never weep. I declare that an epigram.
9
@ 1 - Yes is it.
http://www.sibleyguides.com/conservation…
3 has got it, too. But the Sibley graph also shows the variation in estimates. Throw in high-tension power lines and radio towers and buildings are probably killing a lot more than cats at this point. Though FERAL cats are huge problem, admittedly.
@5 - Screw you, man. That's a billion fewer birds than there were. Rare species are among the birds that are getting killed, and that's a serious conservation issue.
http://www.sibleyguides.com/conservation…
3 has got it, too. But the Sibley graph also shows the variation in estimates. Throw in high-tension power lines and radio towers and buildings are probably killing a lot more than cats at this point. Though FERAL cats are huge problem, admittedly.
@5 - Screw you, man. That's a billion fewer birds than there were. Rare species are among the birds that are getting killed, and that's a serious conservation issue.
13
they hate us for our freedoms (and the years of genocide against their chicken and turkey brothers)
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