Hundreds of Wildbirds Die Yearly at Downtown Omaha Buildings

South wall of the Union Pacific Center, where a number of birds have met their demise.

During a volunteer effort to survey buildings in the downtown area of Omaha, there were 413 bird strikes noted during May-November, 2008. A surprising 64 different species were among the tally of birds struck down while flying through the dangerous, built environment full of hazards.

There were 348 instances of dead birds, indicated by a carcass. There were 65 cases of birds that were temporarily injured, and disabled so that they could not fly. When needed, and possible, these hurt birds were moved to an alternate locale to allow it some time to hopefully recover in a safer situation, away from threats of being stepped upon by pedestrians on the sidewalks, or from being eaten by feral cats and to get it away from other potential dangers. Some may even possibly get thrown away by zealous maintenance personnel thinking it was something to be removed with the other trash when cleaning around the building as part of their regular routine.

Surveys - done by walking or bicycling around the area - were most consistent during migratory periods in May, and September-October. Not all areas were visited each day, so some strikes would have been missed. On those days with the more strikes, more places were visited. Species identification was based on personal experience, or with assistance by a few other helpful birders that evaluated a picture taken of the bird where it was found.

Bird Species	May 2008	Jun 2008	Jul 2008	Aug 2008	Sep 2008	Oct 2008	Nov 2008
Virginia Rail	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Sora	5	-	-	-	1	-	-
Mourning Dove	1	-	-	1	3	1	-
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	-	2	-	-	-	-	-
Common Nighthawk	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Chimney Swift	-	3	-	2	1	1	-
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Belted Kingfisher	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Hairy Woodpecker	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Flicker	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
Olive-sided Flycatcher	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Wood-Pewee	3	-	-	-	2	-	-
Willow Flycatcher	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Least Flycatcher	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Great Crested Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Eastern Kingbird	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Warbling Vireo	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Purple Martin	-	-	-	15	30	-	-
Brown Creeper	-	-	-	-	1	3	-
House Wren	-	-	-	1	3	1	-
Sedge Wren	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
Marsh Wren	-	-	-	-	3	-	-
Swainson's Thrush	2	1	-	-	-	1	-
Hermit Thrush	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
American Robin	2	-	1	-	-	1	-
Gray Catbird	2	2	-	-	1	-	-
Brown Thrasher	-	-	-	-	3	-	-
Cedar Waxwing	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
Tennessee Warbler	13	-	-	-	-	-	-
Orange-crowned Warbler	-	-	-	-	1	5	-
Nashville Warbler	3	1	-	-	22	9	-
Yellow Warbler	4	-	-	-	1	-	-
Chestnut-sided Warbler	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Palm Warbler	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-and-white Warbler	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Redstart	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Worm-eating Warbler	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ovenbird	7	-	-	1	5	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	-	-	-	1	1	-	-
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mourning Warbler	1	-	-	3	7	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	14	-	-	-	27	7	-
Hooded Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Wilson's Warbler	-	1	-	1	6	-	-
American Tree Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	1	3
Chipping Sparrow	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Clay-colored Sparrow	4	-	-	-	6	4	-
Grasshopper Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Fox Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Song Sparrow	-	-	-	-	2	1	-
Lincoln's Sparrow	2	-	-	-	11	21	1
Swamp Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	3	-
White-throated Sparrow	3	-	-	-	-	5	2
White-crowned Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Dark-eyed Junco	-	-	-	-	-	6	5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	2	1	-	-	-	-	-
Blue Grosbeak	1	-	-	-	1	-	-
Indigo Bunting	5	4	-	-	-	2	-
Common Grackle	2	-	16	-	4	-	-
Baltimore Oriole	2	-	-	-	2	-	-
House Finch	-	-	-	1	-	1	-
Total:	102	17	19	29	154	79	13
This list includes only those birds identified to a particular species. In some instances the species could be indentified only to a genus level (i.e., warbler, sparrow), so the overall total indicated by this table does not equal 413.

With the additional strikes that would have occurred in March-April, and adding in strikes that were not documented during the survey period, there are probably at least 500 bird strikes per season in downtown Omaha.

Glass wall area that is a hazard to birds, on the north side of the State Office Building. Some oak trees were just planted to the east and west of the area shown in this picture, so as the trees get bigger and attract migratory birds, an increase in bird strikes is likely.

The species noted most often were:

Common Yellowthroat - 48

Purple Martin - 45; birds at the midtown roost

Nashville Warbler - 35

Lincoln's Sparrow - 35

Common Grackle - 22

Clay-colored Sparrow - 14

Tennessee Warbler - 13

Ovenbird - 13

Mourning Warbler - 11

Indigo Bunting - 11

Dark-eyed Junco - 11

White-throated Sparrow - 10

Species of conservation concern - "a list used to help prioritize conservation planning/actions" - were found 27 times. They included species with different state rankings.

S2 - state imperiled

Sedge Wren; at the Holland Center for Performing Arts and Qwest Center, late in September

S3 - state vulnerable

Brown Creeper, Black-and-white Warbler, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Swamp Sparrow; four of the instances were at the Union Pacific Center

S4

Virginia Rail (an anomaly reported from along Saddle Creek Road, just north from Dodge Street), and Ovenbird

S5

Yellow-billed Cuckoo; both at the Omaha World-Herald Building

Six of the total number of strikes were at the Union Pacific Center (Brown Creeper, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, and Swamp Sparrow), with five at the Qwest Center Omaha, and three at the 1200 Landmark Center.

Certain days during the migration season are especially hazardous, with a large number of strikes that occurred:

May 2008 05/01 - 5 05/06 - 3 05/08 - 2 05/10 - 10 05/11 - 2 05/12 - 3 05/13 - 6 05/14 - 1 05/15 - 1 05/16 - 1 05/17 - 3 05/18 - 7 05/19 - 2 05/20 - 5 05/21 - 4 05/22 - 1 05/23 - 4 05/24 - 2 05/25 - 5 05/26 - 10 05/27 - 2 05/28 - 1 05/29 - 11; two disabled birds; all the species noted were warblers, primarily the Tennessee Warbler 05/30 - 3 05/31 - 8

September 2008 09/03 - 3 09/04 - 9 09/05 - 1 09/06 - 9 09/07 - 5 09/08 - 8 09/09 - 4 09/12 - 7 09/13 - 17; includes eight injured, and one dead martin noted when the birds were arriving at the midtown roost 09/14 - 8 09/15 - 2 09/16 - 4 09/21 - 2 09/23 - 2 09/25 - 23; 20 carcasses 09/26 - 13 09/27 - 8 09/28 - 16 09/29 - 5 09/30 - 8

October 2008 10/01 - 9 10/02 - 6 10/03 - 5 10/04 - 4 10/05 - 1 10/08 - 5 10/09 - 2 10/10 - 6 10/11 - 1 10/12 - 1 10/14 - 2 10/15 - 1 10/16 - 3 10/18 - 2 10/20 - 7 10/21 - 4 10/22 - 2 10/23 - 2 10/25 - 5 10/26 - 3 10/28 - 3 10/29 - 1 10/30 - 2 10/31 - 2

For the six-month period excluding November, when the number of strikes declined and inclement weather did not allow a regular schedule of looking for carcasses, there were 400 strikes. For this period of 185 days, there was an average of 2.16 bird strikes per day.

Deadly Buildings

This survey illustrates the buildings which are obviously the most dangerous for migratory birds in downtown Omaha.

Qwest Center Omaha - 123 known strikes, with all but a couple on the west side facade; FWS officials contacted building management in mid-summer, and asked that something be done by the end of September; nothing has been done

Kiewit-Clarkson Skywalk - 38; hospital officials put up temporary measures once they were informed to the regulations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Union Pacific Center - 36, mostly warblers and sparrows; the building management official is aware of the bird deaths, as they once commented on pictures being taken one morning

Central Park Plaza - 29

1200 Landmark Center - 28; a building management official was informed of deaths at this structure during the summer, at the same meeting with an Omaha World-Herald official

The hazardous zone for migratory birds that enter the courtyard at the Holland Center for Performing Arts. Birds also regularly hit the south wall, located across from the Central Park Mall and its landscaping trees.

Holland Center for Performing Arts - 27; officials are aware of the deaths, as they commented on them when giving notice of the courtyard area being private property; the person was indifferent to the bird deaths

Gottschalk Freedom Center - 22; FWS officials contacted Omaha-World Herald building management officials in mid-summer, and asked that something be done by the end of September; nothing has been done

Zorinsky Federal Building - 15; nothing has been done here by federal officials, at a building which they own and maintain

Omaha Public Power District Energy Plaza - 13; a FWS official said they had a contact with the company, and said they would talk with them about the bird strikes; nothing was heard subsequently

Omaha World-Herald Building - 9; not as dangerous for migratory birds as the Freedom Center

Woodmen Tower Skywalk - 8; an official with the management company informed of these deaths; the same official was asked to note if and when birds were striking the woodmen tower, and they agreed to do so; no further information was received; it is probable that birds strike this prominent tower, but they would fall to the base of the building, which is not visible from the public sidewalk

Kiewit-Clarkson South Skywalk - 7

First National Tower - 7; an official was notified via email, and was considerate enough to provide a reply, expressing thanks for receiving the information

Harper Center, Creighton University. The other hazardous spot at this building is the west end of the north side.

Creighton Harper Center - 6

J.P. Cooke Company - 5; this building constructed in the 1880s, probably has the longest history of bird strikes in the state, since the glass on the north side now known to be a hazard, has probably been a hazard since it was built

Nebraska State Office Building - 4; state officials were notified of the deaths occuring on the north side of the building during the summer; no reply was received; and there were subsequent deaths at this site

American National Bank - 4

Slowdown Lounge - 3

First National Bank Building - 3

Urban Outfitters - 2

Redfield & Company - 2

Harriman Dispatching Center, Union Pacific Railroad - 2

Exchange Building - 2

All Makes Office Equipment Company - 2

What-Cheer - 1

Union Plaza Apartments - 1

Tower Park - 1

State Office Building - 1

O'Keefe Elevator Company - 1

Mr. Toad's Pub - 1

Metropolitan Utilities District building - 1

Laurie and Charles Photographs - 1

Kutak Rock, Omaha Building - 1

Kimball Lofts - 1

Joslyn Lofts - 1

Indian Creek Nursery - 1

Federal Office Building - 1

American Apparel - 1

17th and Harney Street - 1

1405 Harney Street - 1

Deadly situations will increase as more trees are introduced for landscaping (i.e., World-Herald Square, State Office Building) and additional buildings are constructed (i.e., the Wallstreet Tower is a looming hazard). In midtown, the Midtown Crossing development at the former Turner Park, will have several glass exterior buildings that will be hazards. Elsewhere, the Aksarben Village buildings also have features which characterize the buildings where bird strikes occur.

Considerations

Nothing has been done to address the bird strike problem in downtown Omaha.

Despite the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service being responsible for enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - which protects wild birds - and state and federal-level personnel being well aware of the known problem buildings, they have done nothing to get something done to have any building retrofitted to reduce their danger.

Building owners have also chosen to not undertake any efforts to address the problem at their structures. Their reason(s) for not doing anything is not apparent.

In one example when measures were put in place to address bird strikes by Purple Martins at the Nebraska Medical Center, the deaths continued. Even once hospital officials were informed of the ongoing impacts, they made no subsequent changes. And more martins died.

So even though details of the ongoing deaths has been documented this year, nothing has changed. The problem is obvious. Viable solutions to the extensive, and ongoing deaths are available, but are not being implemented. Building owners continue to ignore the deaths of wild birds at their buildings, with an apparent, and appalling indifference.

Bird Strike Maps

Specific details of where bird strikes are known to occur are available on detailed maps for the vicinity:

View Larger Map May to August - 631 map views	View Larger Map September - 2297 map views
View Larger Map October - 4956 map views (Nov 30, 2008)	View Larger Map November - 2498 map views (Nov 30, 2008)

A picture is often included to provide valid documentation of the bird that was injured or killed by hitting a building exterior at Omaha, the river city.

"...often there is a photo of the injured bird. If that doesn't make you want to do something about this, you have no heart." - comment received via email

West wall of the Qwest Center Omaha, the most hazardous place for birds in Omaha. The landscaping to the west of the area shown is the reason for the many bird strikes.