Saving Chicago's Avian Victims: Inside the Bird Collision Response Network

In Chicago, bird collisions with buildings result in numerous injuries and fatalities during migration periods. The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors play a crucial role in rescuing and rehabilitating birds, alongside efforts to implement bird-safe designs like the recent USD 1.2 million window film at McCormick Place.

Annette Prince, with her neon-green net, scours Chicago at dawn to save injured birds that collided with glass buildings. She carefully rescues a Nashville warbler, one of many birds falling victim each migration season.

Last fall, around 1,000 birds perished at McCormick Place, prompting the installation of bird-safe window film. This $1.2 million project aims to prevent further collisions by modifying window surfaces along Lake Michigan.

With a network of volunteers, Prince leads efforts in raising awareness and finding solutions for bird collision prevention, saving many birds for rehabilitation and scientific purposes.