The ovenbird is in third place among bird species collected after window strikes in downtown St Paul and Mpls. This was reported in the Spring 2010 issue of The Loon after three years of the Project BirdSafe study sponsored by Audubon MN. From spring 2007 to fall 2009, 111 ovenbirds were picked up of which 101 were dead, 9 were released, and one was rehabbed at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. This constituted six migration periods. In each downtown a prescribed circuit is walked each day of migration. In St Paul the route is 30 blocks long. (White-throated Sparrow is 1st place (N=204) and Nashville Warbler is 2nd (N=173)). In those first three years, approx 1400 birds were killed by impacts with glass in the two downtowns, representing 100 species. This program is now in its eighth season.
Today the Viking management announced that they would add another $20,000,000 for more 'amenities' to the new $ 1 B stadium. (A TV report tonight cited $46 M in added contribution.) But no dollars will be spent on bird-safe glass. In an interview, the Chair of the MSFA said that 'fritted glass' is not acceptable because it would not provide a clear view by the fans of the environs outside the stadium. Many of you contacted Mpls City Council members, the Vikings management as well as the MSFA members. The city council voted unanimously that the stadium should use glass that is more visible to birds. The MOU Board also passed a resolution to this effect. Nevertheless, the approx $1,000,000 additional cost for safer glass was considered too expensive by the Vikings owners/mgrs. (Fritted glass is also more energy efficient than regular glass.) I know that a bird will fly into the glass side of a skyway or into a glass window of a building wall that is framed by solid structural non-glass elements. The height and width of the glass surfaces of the new stadium (~200,000 ft2) will present a very large and invisible "target" to many birds throughout the year but especially to neotropical migrants in the spring and fall. And this is so that the people who attend 8 home games a year at the stadium can look away from the field of play for a transparent view outside the building. On some nights in the spring, millions of birds fly over the metro area. As you know, these birds actively feed during the day and also fly into windows. I also know that there are other significant causes of bird mortality in addition to window glass--- both winter and summer habitat loss, cats, poison, vehicles. But one must look at the additive effect of all of these and then try to mitigate each one. If you subscribe to the belief that one more dead bird doesn't matter (or that window kills are not important), than I suggest you should not vote either, because you are really only one vote. So to paraphrase FDR or George Marshall--- "A thousand million dollars for a football stadium and and not one million dollars to prevent unnecessary bird deaths." It is too late at night to fact check all of this, but I think it is fairly accurate. the paraphrase is my own. There is a good write-up of this issue on Sharon Stiteler's blog "Birdchick" dated July 26, 2014. I know many of you are concerned about the effect the stadium, as planned, will have on flying birds of many kinds. I don't know what to suggest except more phone calls and emails. or protests with placards. If anyone has any ideas or direction, please share them. There was a lot of email about this issue here a couple weeks ago. (You should also read about the poor ovenbird.) Gordon Andessson St Paul From: American Bird Conservancy [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 22, 2014 4:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: ABC's Bird of the Week: Ovenbird <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=Cmr7sW-1k4Nj_KFv3LyU5g> The Walking Warbler <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=Tt3_BoNWkyoIu3hq7OoatQ> Teacher, Teacher! Ovenbird The Ovenbird gets its name from its unique nest, which looks like a domed oven. This inconspicuous, ground-nesting warbler is best-known for its emphatic and distinctive song-a series of progressively louder phrases often described as "teacher, teacher, teacher." Like the Wood Thrush <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=E9SDxP7P3HJr6C5ZvPIn6g> and Kentucky, Cerulean <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=XpLcXg8ZxZ4hLW2vdH902Q> , and Worm-eating Warblers <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=XOp9FK986OlputnPBnlHOA> , Ovenbirds require undisturbed expanses of forest for successful breeding. Although more flexible in habitat requirements on their wintering grounds, Ovenbirds and other Neotropical migratory species benefit from habitat conservation in these regions as well. Learn more and listen to the Ovenbird's song <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=pT6Qv_XFfTV6uCjn3DnRpg> >> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=j1QuGSN3GReApXhWBQq5Xg> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/PixelServer?j=xgmRb3iQwkhUjlpw8S-oNw> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=4jrtTRgHyPte38ehWow4PQ> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=9gQTdMN3agr5uW0zBPVI0g> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=3vfkPm7nx5WRR94VVkWJNA> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=TskT4uElZGmAiLwsMX2yqA> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> <http://support.abcbirds.org/images/content/pagebuilder/green_rule.jpg> American Bird Conservancy | P.O. 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