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World Trade Center
The following letter was sent to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and other planners involved in
rebuilding downtown.
With over 10,000 members, the New York City Audubon Society is the city’s leading environmental
organization.We are delighted that several proposals for the World Trade Center site feature green architecture,
and fully support this direction. We encourage you to expand the concept beyond solar panels, reused materials and
wastewater recycling to address a major bird-conservation problem: the astounding number of migrating birds killed
each year by colliding with buildings. With over 10,000 members, the New York City Audubon Society is the city’s
leading environmental organization. We are delighted that several proposals for the World Trade Center site feature
green architecture, and fully support this direction. We encourage you to expand the concept beyond solar panels,
reused materials and wastewater recycling to address a major bird-conservation problem: the astounding number of
migrating birds killed each year by colliding with buildings.
Birds’ inability to recognize glass as a solid obstacle is well-known, and is referenced in
the works of James Thurber, Vladimir Nabokov and Gary Larson, among others. For six years, the New York City Audubon
Project Safe Flight program has been documenting collisions at city buildings. During that time, volunteers found
nearly 3,000 dead or injured birds of 91 different species, many of which are sustaining long-term population declines.
In cities, the problem of glass is compounded by tall, lit-up buildings.Most species of birds
migrate at night, and can be disoriented by illuminated structures—particularly when weather conditions force them to
fly at lower altitudes. But the World Trade Towers projected well into birds’ flight paths, even on nights with good
weather. So we focused our five-year study on the World Trade Center.
Between April 1997 and Sept. 10, 2001, New York City Audubon’s Project Safe Flight volunteers found
1,016 dead and 524 injured birds at the WTC complex alone.These numbers represent just a fraction of the total.We
know this because 1) on-site staff reported collisions that occurred during volunteers’ absence, and 2) we saw evidence
of scavenging by such predators as gulls, rats and peregrine falcons.
Several organizations have acted on our data:
• August 2000: The Port Authority covered ground-level floors windows with netting to physically prevent
birds from crashing into windows. These barriers successfully minimized collisions along affected walls at the WTC complex.
• May 2001: Marsh McLennan significantly reduced lighting near the top of 1WTC, thereby minimizing the
likelihood of night-migrating birds becoming disoriented by glare.
In cities, humans have inadvertently created an environment that is intrinsically hazardous to the
wildlife with which we share this planet. With the rebuilding of lower Manhattan, we have an opportunity to improve on
this record. It would be meaningful indeed if, at the site that was the locus of our five-year study, planners used
Project Safe Flight data to design bird-friendly buildings.
Exactly what is bird-friendly building design? This new concept is crying out for the best efforts
of our most creative architects and designers. Bird-friendly buildings wouldn’t be taller than their neighbors. Ideally,
they would feature glass windows that permit people to see out, while being opaque and non-reflective from the outside.
Window blinds, interior lighting regimens and external landscaping are all elements to consider.
It is easier to describe what a bird-friendly building wouldn’t include:
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night lighting visible from outside
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reflective glass that mirrors trees or sky
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decorative lighting and floodlights
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glass walkways, walls or atriums
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vast expanses of glass
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indoor landscaping
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The need is great. Some experts maintain that after habitat destruction, glass poses a greater
threat to birds than any other human product or activity.A conservative estimate puts the number of birds
killed by striking windows in the U.S. at 100 million a year—one bird for every building.
As you may know, birds have a large and growing constituency. Birdwatching is America’s
fastest-growing outdoor pastime, second only to gardening. In 2001, 31% of Americans participated in birdwatching,
and bird hobbyists now outnumber hunters and anglers combined. Individuals who find birds that have been killed or
injured by crashing into windows are extremely upset by the needless waste of life.
Finally, birds are protected by law under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it
unlawful to take any migratory bird.“Take” includes wounding or killing, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Minimum penalties include a $5,000 fine for individuals and $10,000 for organizations.
New York is one of the foremost bird cities of the world. It is at the crossroads of hundreds
of species’ migratory routes, and boasts within its limits two world-renowned birding hotspots—Central Park and
Jamaica Bay. Given this great stature, we believe the city should take a leadership role on this issue and make
lower Manhattan a showcase for bird-friendly building design.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. We would be delighted to meet with you to discuss
this matter in further detail. I can be reached at 212-691-7483.
Sincerely,
E. J. McAdams
Executive Director
Blinded by the Light: Data Shows Night Lighting in Buildings Kills Birds
Photograph of dead birds found by NYCAS volunteers in 2000
Project Safe Flight's History with the World Trade Center
NYC Audubon
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