1 00:00:02,166 --> 00:00:05,000 JOHN YANG: Every year in the United States, as many as a billion birds die while migrating. 2 00:00:07,100 --> 00:00:10,700 It's not due to climate change or some toxic substance in the air or water. This culprit 3 00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:16,066 is hiding in plain sight. The birds are killed when they collide with glass. For 4 00:00:18,133 --> 00:00:21,000 the latest in our Saving Species series, we went to see an effort to reduce this carnage 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:26,000 in Philadelphia where it turns out, residents love a lot more birds than just the Eagles. 6 00:00:27,833 --> 00:00:28,766 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI, Volunteer, Bird Safety Philly: And so the birds are 7 00:00:28,766 --> 00:00:30,966 attracted to the brightness. 8 00:00:30,966 --> 00:00:33,733 JOHN YANG (voice-over): The sun is barely up over downtown Philadelphia and the guy known 9 00:00:33,733 --> 00:00:38,700 as the Birdman is already at work. Stephen Maciejewski is a fixture here during the 10 00:00:41,033 --> 00:00:44,200 spring and fall migrations, looking for birds not in the skies, but on the sidewalks where 11 00:00:46,333 --> 00:00:49,433 they fallen after hitting a window. Some are dead, some are injured, others just stunned. 12 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:53,666 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: They don't know what glass is. They don't know glass is hard. 13 00:00:53,666 --> 00:00:58,466 They just say reflection or they think they can go in or through. And then they start hitting. 14 00:00:59,700 --> 00:01:01,666 JOHN YANG (voice-over): It didn't take long for 15 00:01:01,666 --> 00:01:03,900 Maciejewski's eagle's eyes to spot a dead ovenbird, a small songbird. 16 00:01:03,900 --> 00:01:07,000 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: So beautiful. Yes, 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,000 there's orange crown, and they have this loud voice singing teacher, teacher, teacher. 18 00:01:14,066 --> 00:01:17,433 JOHN YANG (voice-over): The species and other details go into his logbook. The dead bird 19 00:01:17,433 --> 00:01:22,433 goes into a plastic bag to be taken to the lab for study. All too common routine done, 20 00:01:24,533 --> 00:01:29,533 he moves on. Maciejewski is a volunteer for Bird Safe Philly, 21 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:35,266 a partnership aimed at creating safe spaces for birds. 22 00:01:35,266 --> 00:01:38,200 Since 1970, the United States and Canada have seen 23 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,200 a decline in bird species of 30 percent. While much of it's due to habitat loss, 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,500 glass windows posed the third largest threat. Robin Irizarry is with Audubon Mid-Atlantic. 25 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:53,366 ROBIN IRIZARRY, Audubon Mid-Atlantic: Folks don't recognize just how serious of a threat 26 00:01:53,366 --> 00:01:58,300 this is because it's such a passive threat. It's not something that we're actively doing like 27 00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:03,266 engaging in deforestation or, you know, paving over areas of habitat. This is simply by us 28 00:02:05,366 --> 00:02:10,300 existing in the way that we live having windows. It's a threat to birds, and it's killing birds. 29 00:02:12,366 --> 00:02:13,200 JASON WECKSTEIN, Academy Of Natural Sciences at Drexel University: Sort of organized 30 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,466 how we classify birds. 31 00:02:14,466 --> 00:02:16,600 JOHN YANG (voice-over): So Jason Wettstein, 32 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,833 runs a lab studying birds with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. 33 00:02:18,833 --> 00:02:21,833 JASON WECKSTEIN: And you can see this is filled with specimens with Safe Philadelphia. 34 00:02:21,833 --> 00:02:23,233 JOHN YANG (voice-over): It's collection of the birds killed 35 00:02:23,233 --> 00:02:27,633 in windows strikes dates back nearly 150 years. 36 00:02:27,633 --> 00:02:29,833 JASON WECKSTEIN: If you look here, you know, they're specimens from 1877. 37 00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:31,900 JOHN YANG: Wow. 38 00:02:31,900 --> 00:02:35,933 JASON WECKSTEIN: This one from 1906 is actually from the early window kills that 39 00:02:35,933 --> 00:02:40,933 happened here in Philadelphia. So this was on city hall. When City Hall was first lit up, 40 00:02:43,066 --> 00:02:45,066 we actually had windows strikes happening or, you know, there were some window strikes just 41 00:02:45,066 --> 00:02:49,133 from glass alone. That does happen. And certainly glass on its own is a problem 42 00:02:49,133 --> 00:02:54,100 when it's reflective. But you add lights into the mix, and it makes it a lot worse. 43 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:58,066 JOHN YANG (voice-over): Birds make their long migratory journeys mostly at night. And for 44 00:02:58,066 --> 00:03:03,033 reasons still not fully understood, they're drawn to artificial lights. Philadelphia 45 00:03:05,133 --> 00:03:08,233 sits on a migratory superhighway known as the Atlantic Flyway, so it's brightly lit skyline 46 00:03:10,066 --> 00:03:14,433 is ripe for the sort of mass collision that occurred on October 2nd, 2020. 47 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:19,766 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: We had around 450 birds just at this building. And, you know, I take care of 48 00:03:22,133 --> 00:03:26,500 like a number of birds. I process them. And people say there's more down there and more down there. 49 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:29,066 JOHN YANG: How many birds did you collect that day? 50 00:03:29,066 --> 00:03:29,733 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: Eight or 900. 51 00:03:29,733 --> 00:03:31,933 JOHN YANG: Wow. 52 00:03:31,933 --> 00:03:35,200 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: And we kind of thought that there was probably over 1,500 that were killed. 53 00:03:37,366 --> 00:03:38,500 MARIANNE SCOTT, Building Industry Association of Philadelphia: And that happened essentially 54 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:40,633 my backyard. I live in that area. 55 00:03:40,633 --> 00:03:44,533 JOHN YANG (voice-over): That catastrophic event move bird lover Marianne Scott to action. 56 00:03:44,533 --> 00:03:46,366 MARIANNE SCOTT: There is a general misconception that 57 00:03:46,366 --> 00:03:50,466 everyone -- it's the high rises that are the biggest problems. So, yes, 58 00:03:50,466 --> 00:03:55,466 the statistics I think is that it's four stories or less where the most fatal collisions occur. 59 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,266 JOHN YANG (voice-over): As Executive Director of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, 60 00:04:00,266 --> 00:04:04,066 she's working to convince the members of that residential real estate trade group 61 00:04:04,066 --> 00:04:09,066 to turn off lights both inside and outside between midnight and 6:00 a.m. during migration seasons. 62 00:04:11,133 --> 00:04:13,800 MARIANNE SCOTT: I think by and large people don't know that there's a problem. They're 63 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,800 shocked to hear when I say there might be 300 million birds traveling across the country now. 64 00:04:20,866 --> 00:04:23,266 JOHN YANG (voice-over): In fact the night before we went on patrol with Stephen Maciejewski, 65 00:04:23,266 --> 00:04:28,266 an estimated 660 million birds were in the skies over the United States 66 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,733 in the midst of their spring migration north. That makes for a busy morning. 67 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,200 An injured ovenbird is placed in a paper bag for transport to the School of Wildlife 68 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:44,200 Centers Clinic for rehabilitation. Then Maciejewski helps and apparently 69 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,500 stunned birds \struggling to regain its sense of direction and get on its way. 70 00:04:51,433 --> 00:04:55,466 Next, an injured yellow throated warbler. And at the entrance of an office building, 71 00:04:56,966 --> 00:05:00,300 a box safeguarding the body of a dead bird left by building 72 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:02,400 staff who've gotten to know much Maciejewski. 73 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,233 OLIVIA FERMANO, Building staff: I actually have him in my contacts on 74 00:05:04,233 --> 00:05:09,066 my phone because this is sadly regular occurrence. There's been times when 75 00:05:10,766 --> 00:05:13,100 I've been sitting there and they've flown in, you know, to the window. 76 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:15,900 DON HAAS, BOMA Philadelphia: Really all the building staff whether it's security or janitorial 77 00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:20,900 predominantly, who used to just clean up and move on. Now we're trying to save as many as possible. 78 00:05:23,166 --> 00:05:26,833 JOHN YANG (voice-over): Building Manager Don Haas is a key leader in the Building Owners and 79 00:05:26,833 --> 00:05:31,833 Managers Association of Philadelphia or BOMA. He's working to get his counterparts on board. 80 00:05:33,700 --> 00:05:36,433 DON HAAS: We were controlling all the outside lighting in the crown lighting, 81 00:05:36,433 --> 00:05:41,433 lobby lightings. So we encourage all of our BOMA members to sign on to the Birds 82 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,200 Safe Lights Out Philly Program. We had a terrific response. I think we're probably at 60 buildings. 83 00:05:49,866 --> 00:05:53,233 JOHN YANG (voice-over): Some cities and states require bird safe design. 84 00:05:53,233 --> 00:05:58,233 In Maryland state law says buildings that are at least 50 percent publicly funded 85 00:05:58,233 --> 00:06:03,233 must follow bird safe design practices. On New York City law mandates that all 86 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:07,666 city owned buildings turn off lights at night during migration season. 87 00:06:07,666 --> 00:06:12,666 In Canada, Toronto requires new and existing buildings to take steps to be bird friendly. 88 00:06:14,900 --> 00:06:19,300 In West Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania makes being feather friendly 89 00:06:19,300 --> 00:06:24,300 part of its sustainability plan. Many school buildings take part in Lights Out Philly. And in 90 00:06:26,466 --> 00:06:30,200 some like the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, window glasses etched with vertical stripes, 91 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:35,833 a pattern that's been found to reduce collisions. It's the same ideas the dots 92 00:06:35,833 --> 00:06:40,833 on the transparent film covering the windows of Water College House one of the campus dorms. 93 00:06:42,666 --> 00:06:44,566 ZADE DOHMAN, Student, University of Pennsylvania: I've sort of become 94 00:06:44,566 --> 00:06:46,500 the bird expert in my friend group. I received tax where friends will say, 95 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:49,833 I heard this bird at this late hour of night is this normal. 96 00:06:49,833 --> 00:06:51,900 JOHN YANG (voice-over): Student eco rep, 97 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:55,666 Zade Dohman, monitors the campus for bird strikes as part of his work study program. 98 00:06:55,666 --> 00:06:59,800 ZADE DOHMAN: There have been birds I've picked up right after they were hit. And most of them 99 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,800 were dead. So I can feel the sort of remnants of life leave their body. And it is really hard. And 100 00:07:06,966 --> 00:07:11,666 it's not something that gets any easier. To me, it's always struck me as this sort of microcosm 101 00:07:11,666 --> 00:07:16,666 of how humans interact with the environment. In general, it's our architecture, it's our 102 00:07:18,966 --> 00:07:22,666 human influence on the environment around us that is causing these birds to get hurt and to die. 103 00:07:24,133 --> 00:07:25,500 JOHN YANG (voice-over): It's an idea that helps inform the work 104 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:29,166 of university landscape planner Chloe Cerwinka. 105 00:07:29,166 --> 00:07:31,400 CHLOE CERWINKA, Landscape Planner, University of Pennsylvania: The way 106 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,700 I got interested in birds was through trying to find another way to understand whether our 107 00:07:36,733 --> 00:07:41,000 landscapes were functioning because if we're inviting these birds in by creating these 108 00:07:42,933 --> 00:07:46,933 important habitats that they need, then we absolutely have to make sure that it's 109 00:07:49,033 --> 00:07:52,633 a safe space for them. We can't invite them in just to let them die in the built environment. 110 00:07:56,366 --> 00:07:59,633 JOHN YANG (voice-over): The solutions Penn is employing are just some of the methods found 111 00:07:59,633 --> 00:08:04,633 to be effective. At the Discovery Center in Philadelphia, Robin Irizarry shows us others. 112 00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:11,366 ROBIN IRIZARRY: These are Acopian birds saving blinds. These are a simple technique, 113 00:08:13,633 --> 00:08:16,100 a really cost effective technique. And this is just a network of paracord that protects birds 114 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:20,300 from flying into the glass here. You want to have a distance of about four inches. So when 115 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:25,066 a bird is flying through there, it's not going to feel comfortable going through that space. 116 00:08:25,066 --> 00:08:28,733 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: I like they call me Birdman. It's an honor. 117 00:08:28,733 --> 00:08:31,833 JOHN YANG (voice-over): Back on the streets of Philadelphia, Stephen Maciejewski wraps 118 00:08:31,833 --> 00:08:36,833 up his day. He's collected 13 dead and injured birds. The injured were sent to 119 00:08:38,966 --> 00:08:42,633 rehabilitation. The dead were neatly placed in a freezer at the Academy of Natural Sciences 120 00:08:44,866 --> 00:08:47,866 alongside other birds that have met similar fates, all available to be used for research. 121 00:08:50,266 --> 00:08:52,833 STEPHEN MACIEJEWSKI: It's very sad to find these birds. I mean, they're coming up north looking to 122 00:08:52,833 --> 00:08:57,833 raise a family, traveling like thousands of miles from, you know, South America, 123 00:08:59,933 --> 00:09:02,900 Central America, the Caribbean to come this far and then to die on the streets of Philadelphia.