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Just recently, a horrifying mass casualty event happened with over 1,000 migrating birds dying in just one night after colliding with windows at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago, Illinois. This is not the first time. McCormick Place's management, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Governor JB Pritzker must put bird collision prevention methods in place, by ensuring that the turning lights out at night policy is followed much more stringently.

On the night of October 4, 2023, over 1,000 migrating birds died after colliding with windows at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago, Illinois. This tragedy is sadly not an isolated incident with thousands more vulnerable birds at risk during their spring and fall migrations.

Chicago sits on the Mississippi Flyway, which is part of a vital migration route for millions of migratory birds traveling from Canada and the northern U.S. to wintering grounds on the Gulf of Mexico and Central and South America in the fall before returning in the spring.

Tragically, thousands of birds are injured and killed in collisions with buildings during both spring and fall migrations when they become confused by lights and reflections on building windows. In 2019, researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology named Chicago as the most dangerous city for migratory birds.

Just in August, In Defense of Animals' Interfaith Vegan Coalition attended the Parliament of The World's Religions at McCormick Place, the very site of so much carnage just a few months later. While there, a member of the coalition found an injured bird who had collided with a window and transported him to a rehabilitation center.

Interfaith Vegan Coalition member Rev. Carol Saunders rescued this bird who she found injured at McCormick Place this summer.

While McCormick Place claims to participate in Lights Out Chicago, an initiative to reduce bird deaths in the city by turning out or dimming city lights, on that fateful October night there was an event, so the building did not dim the lights despite the fact that it was during migration season. Regardless of whether events are occurring, McCormick Place and other buildings in Chicago should still dim their lights. These facilities could also ensure that events are planned earlier in the day during bird migration seasons, and implement other bird protection strategies as well.

In 2020, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that requires all new buildings to be constructed with bird-safe features, but it has yet to be implemented. In 2021, Governor Pritzker signed the Bird Safe Buildings Act (HB 247), which requires bird-friendly design to be incorporated into the construction and renovation of state-owned buildings in Illinois, but those are very few in number.

Luckily, there are many ways to make buildings and windows safe for birds. Dimming and turning out lights is the simplest way to prevent collisions, and increases energy efficiency too! Other bird-safe building measures include installing tinted and patterned window film, parachute cords, screens, and even simple window decals. If buildings like McCormick Place make simple changes such as these, thousands of bird lives will be saved.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Save Chicago’s Migrating Birds Now

I am writing as one of In Defense of Animals’ 250,000 supporters to respectfully request that you immediately implement more bird-safe measures to prevent bird collisions with windows. I appreciate the steps that have already been taken by McCormick Place to ensure the safety of birds, but much more must be done to avoid mass death events like the recent horrific incident on the night of October 4, 2023. 

Regardless of whether events are occurring, McCormick Place and other buildings in Chicago should still dim their lights, and either ensure that events are planned earlier in the day during bird migration seasons, or that exhibitors agree to lights out at a certain time. McCormick Place must also implement other bird protection strategies as well. 

Birds often mistake the reflections of trees and sky as real and break their fragile bones and necks flying into windows at high speeds. Even birds who seemingly recover and fly away often still succumb to their injuries later. These collisions happen most often during spring and fall migration seasons. 

Luckily, there are many ways to make buildings and windows safe for birds. Dimming or turning out lights are the simplest ways to prevent collisions, and increase energy efficiency too. Other bird-safe building measures include installing tinted or patterned window film, parachute cords, screens, and even simple window decals. If buildings like McCormick Place make simple changes such as these, thousands of bird lives will be saved. Please let me know your plans regarding this issue.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Signed

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