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F.L.A.P.
#1
F.L.A.P. ---- Fatal Light Awareness Program


Every year birds in North America and South America fly long distances to their nesting grounds in Northern Canada. It is an arduous journey. For centuries they did it safely, barring normal hazards.
Now with our cities growing at a rapid rate light pollution has become a serious problem. Many of the big high rises leave their lights on all night. These buildings have big smooth glass windows and birds don't see the glass they see an open space. In some places the light confuses them and they get lost in it. Millions of birds have died from impact with these buildings. They may be the latest design, but for birds they are a death trap.
F.L.A.P. is an organization trying to help. They keep track of the deaths and volunteers collect the bodies. Maybe some day we can force building owners to do something.
http://www.flap.org/
Sometimes they find birds that are hurt and can save them.
It is heart breaking to find a beautiful bird who was only trying to get home to its nesting grounds, and instead is dead at the base of some great big building that humans have built.Smiley19

http://songbirdsos.com/
They have done an amazing documentary about the desperate plight of songbirds. If you are able to see the documentary it is well worth the time. If we don't change our ways we will lose something very precious. I am not sure the ecosystems we live in will survive the damage.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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#2
This is something I had never given enough thought to, so thank you for posting that Catherine. About twice, or three times since I have lived here a bird has hit my window. And that was when I was in, to notice it. So there may have been times it had happened and I didn't know.Some birds, like my garden Robins, are aware of the glass, and often perch outside, looking in, trying to catch my attention for treats. The ones who collided were usually Blackbirds.

I don't think it ever happened at my mother's house. She had blinds which hung vertically inside. They were adjustable, and when fully open let a lot of light in, and view. But it must have broken up the reflection in the window enough to deter birds.

This is a very good site with lots of information and links. Thank you.
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#3
The real problem is the big high-rises. They are all glass and they often leave lights on all night. Birds don't see the glass they see an opening to fly through. It is worse for the birds flying at night. They get lost in a down town full of light. Toronto is on a major migratory bird routs and so many of our beautiful birds die.

It is sad when one or two birds hit a window. When it is thousands of birds them it is a tragedy and a massacre. We need to turn out the lights at night and we need to make the glass visible to birds. The buildings are ugly anyhow. Sometimes the glare is hard to take on a hot summer day. I don't know who thought up the idea of tall glass towers, but the death of a million birds is on his head.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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