Maine Audubon put stickers on buildings to prevent bird deaths | WBUR News

Striking buildings is one of the leading causes of bird mortality in the U.S., killing nearly a billion birds every year.

But recent modifications to the deadliest building for birds in Portland shows injuries and fatalities can be avoided.

Volunteers for Maine Audubon regularly found large numbers of dead birds around MEMIC's building on Commercial Street during annual surveys, according to outreach manager Nick Lund.

In some years, more than 30 killed or injured birds were found near the six-story building, Lund said.

But exterior decals installed on three stories of windows has reversed that trend and saved lives.

"We found during our fall surveys, zero dead birds back there which is a complete validation of the time and effort it took MEMIC to put those up, and a real proof of concept for bird safe window technologies," Lund said.

Birds can’t tell the difference between the real world and a reflection, so will fly full speed into windows. The simple decals break the veneer up and let them know it's not sky or habitat, says Lund.

The covering on MEMIC's windows resemble polka-dot spots covering part of its exterior.

"To see MEMIC go from the worst building on the route to perfectly safe has been really remarkable," Lund said.

In a statement, senior vice president for strategy and communications Lily Hanstein said the company learned that the building was high on the offender list for bird strikes in 2021.

Deciding to install decals on the building was challenging, but ultimately the right choice, Hanstein said.

"Our employees are passionate about animals and hearing a bird hit the window while you are working isn’t a great feeling," she added. "It’s been heartwarming to see the level of appreciation from the birding community and we are thrilled to see that it is making a difference for the bird population.”

Portland is still a dangerous place for feathered friends. Maine Audubon said it found 84 dead or injured birds in the city during its autumn surveys. That season is an especially high time for strikes as birds migrate south for the winter, Lund said.

Most fatalities occurred near tall buildings with lots of glass, according to Maine Audubon. Common Yellowthroats were the the commonest species found by volunteers, among the 24 different species identified.

BirdSafe Maine, a coalition of Audubon, the University of Southern Maine and the Portland Society of Architecture has worked to bring attention to the risk of building strikes in recent years. The group offers advice about how to improve buildings, from homes to high rises, and avoid hurting birds.

This summer the Portland city council passed an ordinance that requires large new buildings to include designs that prevent bird collisions.