June Bird-strikes at Omaha Show an Increase Compared to 2008

Bird-strikes noted in east Omaha buildings during June 2009 showed an increase in known occurrences in comparison to records available from 2008.

Julian Date	June 2008	June 2009
152 (June 1)	-	6
153	1	1
154	1	-
155	2	1
156	1	-
157	1	2
158	1	3
159	1	1
160	-	1
161	2	-
162	3	-
163	1	-
164	-	3
165	-	3
166	-	1
168	-	1
171	-	3
173	-	4
175	-	2
176	1	-
179	2	6
181 (June 30)	-	2

There were 40 known bird strikes, compared to 17 in 2008.

With an increase in instances, there was also a greater number of building places where the bird-strikes occurred. Though the regular places continued to cause the demise of birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there were a number of additional locales where carcasses were documented. This includes the Brandeis Building downtown, Duchesne Academy in the Cathedral neighborhood, and several places on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, notable at the Wittson-Bennett Halls skywalk and the so-close skywalk across 42nd Street between Wittson Hall and the Sorrell Center. The World Building downtown is another new addition to the list of buildings.

The deadliest building this month is the same place as it has been during the duration of this survey of bird strikes. Although there were fewer this year at the Qwest Center Omaha, the eight strikes noted puts this structure once more at the top of the list, with the 1200 Landmark Center, on Farnam Street taking second place.

Omaha Building	June 2008	June 2009
1200 Landmark Center	1	6
American National Bank	-	1
Brandeis Building	-	1
Central Park Plaza	1	4
Duchesne Academy Skywalk	-	1
First National Tower	-	2
Harper Center, Creighton University	-	3
Kiewit-Clarkson Skywalk	-	1
Kutak Rock - Omaha Building	1	-
Omaha World-Herald Building	2	1
OPPD Energy Plaza	-	1
Qwest Center Omaha	11	8
Sorrell Center	-	1
Union Pacific Center	-	1
Wittson Hall-Sorrell Center Skywalk	-	1
Wittson-Bennett Halls Skywalk	-	1
Woodmen Park	-	1
Woodmen Tower Skywalk	-	3
World Building	-	1
Zorinsky Federal Building	-	1
Total:	16 *	39
* Plus an additional species of a warbler - that could not be sufficiently identified - on the sidewalk of the All Makes Office Equipment Company

Each instance this month were carcasses, except for two disabled warblers, noted and then photographed where found after a death with birdly agony after having struck the glass of some building that so suddenly caused an unexpected demise.

Increased Number of Species Documented

There were 15 species that impacted Omaha buildings to an extent sufficient to lead to their mortality during June 2009. There were ten species represented among the June 2008 tally.

Dead Dickcissel on the sidewalk at the west entry of the World Building.

Dead Wood Duck drake on the sidewalk at the northeast corner of the Omaha World-Herald Building.

Two species not previously recorded include the Wood Duck - a drake found at the Omaha World-Herald Building near the end of the month, and a Dickcissel on the sidewalk on the west side of the World Building, found on the same day. Perhaps the latter was a carcass dropped by the flighty Peregrine Falcon pair hanging around the Woodmen Tower that have a been giving particular attention to providing something to eat for the growing brood of youngsters of this breeding season.

Bird Species	June 2008	June 2009
Wood Duck	-	1
Rock Pigeon	-	1
Mourning Dove	-	4
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	2	2
Common Nighthawk	-	1
Chimney Swift	3	-
Swainson's Thrush	1	-
American Robin	-	1
Gray Catbird	2	-
European Starling	-	1
Cedar Waxwing	1	-
Nashville Warbler	1	-
Mourning Warbler	-	5
Common Yellowthroat	-	1
Wilson's Warbler	1	-
Canada Warbler	-	1
Warbler	1	1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	1	-
Indigo Bunting	4	2
Dickcissel	-	1
Common Grackle	-	17
House Finch	-	1
A shout-out of appreciation to a prominent birder cognizant of Nebraska species that helped to identify a few birds - or relicts thereof - denoted in less-than-adequate pictures.

The most dramatic difference was the number of Common Grackles that met their quick demise. There were 17 noted this month, including a juvenile that died after dusk on the last day of the month, when a slew of birds were ousted from the roost at the Nebraska Medical Center as a helicopter took off from the nearby helipad. It was already dark, and the bird was seen dying.

Although particulars have not been kept, many juveniles also have been seen dead on the Omaha streets, with at least ten seen during the month which had been hit by some vehicle and ended up so squashed on the pavement.

It should also be noted that during this month, records were also kept on species such as the Rock Pigeon and European Starling that were not noted last year since they are not included under measures of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Owner's of each building where a bird death occurs is responsible for each instance of a deadly strike as this is considered taking under a clause of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Yet, this federal law, is apparently selectively enforced by the Fish and Wildlife Service, since the agency officials have in particular ignored every case of a bird-strikes in Omaha. This is a government agency that has done nothing to make a difference to protect wild birds from endless deaths. Also, when there is a carcass, the person handling what had been a feathered bit of wonder, is doing so without authorization, as the F.W.S. has indicated that a permit is required to handle a bird protected by the MBTA. This would seem to mean that if a carcass is picked up for disposal, this is some kinda violation of a federal law, though there is obviously no enforcement of throwing away trash, which sadly includes the carcass of a colorful bird that had been a lively part of the natural environment some place.

There will be more bird-strikes next month and subsequent months beyond, as the overall number of birds which die at Omaha continues its endless increase in the mortality of birds! And the river city is just place where this is happening around the world.

Overall, the number of deaths throughout the U.S. and world-wide is astounding as their are millions or billions or however many that die, with the particulars unknown. In the U.S. this situation is an ink black and ugly smear on officials of the F.W.S. that basically ignore so many situations where this occurs on a regular, known basis.

Effort and attention to the situation could readily provide options to reduce the mortality by addressing deadly conditions.