Blackbird Hits Glass Window North of Valentine

A male Red-winged Blackbird hit a big pane of glass at a shack on the north edge of Valentine on Saturday July 16^th. The impact was a loud and obvious smack from my vantage point just inches away on the interior inside of the glass pane. The stricken bird was then seen and found lying on the ground among the vegetation. It remained there for a time and then was no longer present within 30 minutes.

This is not the first bird strike to occur at this big window of the scene, though it is the first time that the victim remained, and the result could be documented.

Blackbirds are prevalent at this locality. Another species that has been known to smash into this window is the Orchard Oriole.

Most of the local birds seen and appreciated are hither and yon among the horse pens and the North Lake Shore Hills.

Feather Pattern Remains After Dove Window-Strike

A vivid indication of the wing patterns of an Mourning Dove were left after it struck a large pane of window glass.

The pattern indicated the body area, but especially the primary feathers of each wing. For one wing, even the pattern of the secondaries was obvious and vividly prominent. There was no impression of the tail feathers. The image measured 13 inches in width.

After the dove hit the glass with a loud smack, it fell away an inch or two, and then flew away, so seemingly survived the collision.

The dove apparently flew from the top board of a corral fence, which is just about 16-feet northward of the window. The large picture window is on the north side of a cabin. Doves, including the Eurasian Colarred Dove, occasionally walk atop this fence, and they also forage on the nearby bare ground of a horse pen.

The strike occurred about mid-morning on April 24, 2016 at a country setting north of Valentine. Other smaller birds — notably sparrows and the junco — have also occasionally struck this same window, which is characteristically reflective.

Warbler Abuse at First National Bank

A blatant act of bird abuse occurred at the downtown office building of the First National Bank early in the morning on May 27th. While bicycling about on the usual bird window strike survey, my route passed along the north side of the bank tower, by the atrium. A quick glance indicated there were no disabled or dead birds, so my travel continued. Upon looking back when a bit further along, there seemed to be a bird present near the east doorway of the atrium. A return to the location occurred just when an employee of the bank was present. He was seen using a broom to violently sweep the bird away from the doorway. The bird was moved 5-10 feet into the courtyard. Upon a close-up look, it was a female Common Yellowthroat. It had been disabled upon striking the glass of the atrium, and was trying to recover enough to leave the site, but was abused by the bank worker.

It is quite pathetic that an injured bird had to be treated as though it was some piece of unwanted trash.

The warbler was moved to a safer spot nearby, where it could recover without any further threats by pedestrians or anyone else.

This atrium is a known hazard to migratory birds due to its glass facade and the obvious presence of interior vegetation adjacent to the glass wall. There have been numerous bird window strikes here, and which bank officials are aware of. Yet they do nothing as birds continue to die. And their employee is an abuser of birds!.

Bird-window Collisions During May at Downtown Omaha

This is a sampler of bird-window collisions in downtown Omaha during May, 2015.

dead Ovenbird at the north atrium entrance at 1200 Landmark Center

disabled Orange-crowned Warbler at the CenturyLink Center Omaha, near the north end of the west side

dead Baltimore Oriole at the west end of the north side of Omaha Public Power District energy plaza; note the black masking on the window to the right, put in place to reduce bird-window collisions

disabled Gray Catbird at the north entrance to the atrium at 1200 Landmark Center

dead White-throated Sparrow at the east side of the Gavilon building

disabled House Wren at the east entrance to Omaha Public Power District Energy Plaza

Ovenbird at the Elevate Company at 1018 Dodge Street

The following four are from the morning of May 15th.

dead Gray Catbird at the south box office entrance at the CenturyLink Center Omaha

dead male Indigo Bunting at the southeast corner of the south tower of Central Park Plaza

dead female Indigo Bunting at the Gavilon Building, near the entrance at the northwest corner

dead Ovenbird at the northeast corner of the Union Pacific Center

The following are from the morning of May 18th.

disabled Ovenbird on the west side of the CenturyLink Center Omaha

two dead Yellow Warblers on the north side, and just about the west end of 1200 Landmark Center; it's possible that the birds were placed together; there have previously been birds found in close proximity but never adjacent to one another like these two, and oriented in a similar manner

dead Mourning Dove at the entry doors at the northwest corner of the Gavilon building

The following are from the morning of May 22nd.

disabled Tennessee Warbler at TDAmeritrade ball park

dead female Common Yellowthroat at 1200 Landmark Center

dead female Common Yellowthroat at the north side atrium of the Firs National Bank tower

This is a minimal sample, as there have not been as many surveys done this spring as in past years, with some rainy mornings especially not conducive to bicycle transportation. Only birds were photos were taken are illustrated here.

Sparrow Dies at Downtown Omaha Building

A first bird window-strike fatality of the season was found the morning of April 30th. There was a dead white-throated sparrow on the north side of the tower at 1200 Landmark Center.

The carcass was removed for suitable disposal.

There were no birds found along the usual route on the morning of April 28th. More fatalities are certainly expected in the pending days.

Bird Tragedies of Late-October Days at Omaha

With an expectation of changing weather in some subsequent days, some particular attention was given to survey the situation associated with bird-window strikes at numerous buildings in downtown Omaha, just west of the Missouri River.

The weekend of October 25-26 started the norm of a routine, well known. There were no records of bird-window strikes, along the usual route on three days earlier in the week, the days being Monday (October 20th), Wednesday (22nd) and on Friday (the 24th which was a morning of an irksome OMetro bus whose driver would not yield, once and again another time, ending with a point made near the cemetery further westward along Leavenworth Street) when there were low-lying, foggy-type of clouds, and steady southerly winds. The usual route was followed so there was nothing different associated with the survey effort as done a few hundred times previously. These were just a few of many days when there were no findings during the past years when surveys have been done, yet there has never been any data-record kept for the bicycle effort on mornings when there were no bird carcasses found.

On Saturday morning, there were several instances of dead birds at downtown Omaha buildings. These are the particulars, as found during an early morning bicycle survey on October 25th, when there was not much wind.

• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Savannah Sparrow, carcass ten feet north of convention center entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Savannah Sparrow, carcass 15 feet north of convention center entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Savannah Sparrow, disabled bird 20 feet north of convention center entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: White-throated Sparrow, carcass one foot north of second from north entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Cooper's Hawk, dead juvenile next to pigeon at the south end of the west facade, just south of the convention center entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Rock Pigeon; dead, next to Cooper's Hawk carcass, at the south end of the west facade, just south of the convention center entrance
• American National Bank: White-throated Sparrow; carcass on the south side, about 20 feet from the east corner

The occurrence of birds struck dead by flying into glass walls of buildings in downtown Omaha continued on Sunday. There were more fatalities found on the second day of the weekend, October 26th, as indicated by the following details.

• TD Ameritrade Park: Dark-eyed Junco, one of two disabled birds on the south side, just north of the 12th and Fahey Street intersection
• TD Ameritrade Park: Dark-eyed Junco, one of two disabled birds on the south side, just north of the 12th and Fahey Street intersection
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Savannah Sparrow, one of two dead birds, one on bench about 30 feet north of the second from north entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Savannah Sparrow, one of two dead birds by bench about 30 feet north of the second from north entrance
• CenturyLink Center Omaha: Clay-colored Sparrow, dead about ten feet south of the second from north entrance
• 1200 Landmark Center: Lincoln's Sparrow, carcass on the sidewalk at the west side entrance
• Central Park Plaza: Dark-eyed Junco, carcass at the plaza by the north entrance of the south tower
• Gavilon Building: Savannah Sparrow, carcass on the west side, about ten feet from the north corner
• Omaha-Douglas Civic Center: Grasshopper Sparrow, carcass on the north side of the atrium, about ten feet from the east corner

On Monday morning, with light winds prevailing and which were hardly noticeable at the time of my outing, a vividly colored sparrow was found dead at the doorway of a place associated with the Slowdown complex in north Downtown.

• Urban Outfitters at the north downtown Slowdown complex: Fox Sparrow, carcass on the west side of the store, by the main entrance

Another instance for this period of time is for Tuesday, October 28th. A disabled Savannah Sparrow was noted at the CenturyLink Center Omaha, a short time after sunrise.

As the weather changed to more of a typical autumn regime on October 27-28, the subsequent few days may be times for more bird deaths among the buildings of downtown Omaha as more wildbirds migrate southward.

Tragedy of Two Birds at CenturyLink Center Omaha

An urban mix of a frantic pigeon, a hungry hawk and the glass facade of a building was vividly indicated by the outcome of their encounter.

There are dozens of Rock Pigeons that occur about the CenturyLink Center Omaha in north downtown. They can be seen flying about on a regular basis, or sitting about someplace they prefer there, every day by someone that cares to take a look.

The many fat pigeons attracted a hungry Cooper's Hawk on Friday, October 24th.

Those pigeons of downtown Omaha have attracted a Cooper's Hawk on more than one occasion prior to this event.

Once the juvenile hawk selected its prey, a chase ensued, with the frantic pigeon in a quick flight along the west wall of the building, as it seeked an escape. When the pigeon darted into what appeared to be a route to safe haven, the hawk followed. The choice by the first bird led to its death when it whacked into the lower extent of glass on the west side of the CenturyLink Center, just south of the convention center entrance. Its pursuer met a similar fate.

The two birds were found next to each other on the southern extent of the west wall of the facility, the results of their encounter obvious when found on Saturday morning. There were two feathery carcasses, not supple, indicating that they had been lying dead upon the concrete for hours before the sunrise visit.

What a tragedy for the young hawk to die in this manner, especially when its death did not have to occur, and would not have happened if the clear glass had been suitably marked and made obvious enough for the keen sight of all avifauna. Both birds would have realized there was an obstruction ahead, and gone a different way.

They did not have this opportunity since the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority -- which manages the Qwest/CenturyLink Center -- has, for years, been indifferent to placing a sufficient number of suitable markings on the glass of the west facade of this building. A few small stickers on the upper portions of the glass are not enough since there have been a multitude of bird deaths documented in detail along this "wall of death" in the past few years.

Before finding the hawk and the pigeon, there were three Savannah Sparrows either disabled or dead a short distance northward on the west side of the center, and they were the first bird-window strikes of another Saturday morning bicycle outing.

The carcasses of the hawk, as well as the sparrows, were disposed of in a suitable manner. And they were not thrown into any trash can as to do so would be a disgrace to the spirit of the winged ones.

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There was a Cooper's Hawk flying about TD Ameritrade Park the morning of October 26th, checking out the juncos and sparrows along Mike Fahey Street.

Bird Strike Deaths Continue Unabated in Downtown Omaha

As the autumn migration season continues, bird strikes continue unabated among downtown Omaha buildings. During this time of the year, most of the fatalities are sparrows and juncos, as evidenced by October 18-19th.

This is a tally of known instances of bird window strikes:

A dead Lincoln's Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow on the south side of the building on the northwest corner of 15th and Mike Fahey Street, which does not have a posted street address.

A disabled Lincoln's Sparrow (18th) and dead Dark-eyed Junco (19th) on the west side of the CenturyLink Center Omaha.

A dead and partly squished Orange-crowned Warbler on the sidewalk by the glass-walled portion of the east side of the Holland Performing Arts Center.

A dead bird was found each of two days at the northern portion of the east wall of the Gavilon building. There was a Harris's Sparrow on the 18th, and a Lincoln's Sparrow on the 19th.

A disabled Clay-colored Sparrow on the west side of the Zorinsky Federal Building, about 30 feet from the south corner (19th).

A dead White-throated Sparrow on the east side and a dead Dark-eyed Junco on the north side of the Law Building, 500 South 18th Street, both on the 18th.

An unusual occurrence of a bird death was the finding of a dead Western Meadowlark on the 18th, beneath the power lines just west of 42nd and Nicholas Street in the Izard Industrial Zone. The carcass was fresh, and had not yet been smashed by vehicle parking. The species identification was determined by an analysis of plumage and feather features. It is quite unusual to have this species occur in the midst of urban Omaha, but meadowlarks have been seen on two occasions at a mown-grass lot to the west, by 49th and Hamilton streets.

Sapsucker Disabled at CenturyLink Center Omaha

A disabled yellow-bellied sapsucker was found disabled Monday, October 6, at the west side of the CenturyLink Center in north downtown, Omaha. The bird was obviously in distress when found about 1:30 p.m. It was shaking its head wildly and erratically, and could scarcely retain its grasp on the concrete base of the window expanse near the northmost entrance to the facility.

The bird was quickly caught and moved to the base of the row of trees just to the west. The bird seemed to recover satisfactorily as it was soon climbing along the tree bark.

Here, the sapsucker is looking much livelier after it had been moved to this tree, and recovered sufficiently to climb up the trunk.

This is the fourth record of a sapsucker window-bird strike in Omaha. The three other occurrences have all be fatalities. This is the first instance of this occurring at the CenturyLink Center, but is one more of the more than 500 bird-window strikes documented to have occurred at this building.

On this same date, a juvenile Yellow-bellied sapsucker was found dead at the front door glass of the Mercer mansion at 40th and Cuming Streets, as reported on NEbirds.

Omaha Civic Development Includes Bird Hazards

The development proposal selected by city of Omaha officials for the current Civic Auditorium site denotes several architectural features that are known hazards for many species of migratory birds.

This first image shows the Tetrad Property Group/NuStyle Development Corp. project as it would look from the east. There are obvious hazards as depicted in the architectural renderings.

1. A 14-story tower of glass
   
2. An extensive use of glass exteriors; this will probably be reflective glass that will convey a sense of a larger space
   
3. A glass walkway connecting two different structures is obvious on the right side of the tower with a close association with landscaping; this appears it will be an especially dangerous facet of this place as it partially blocks a primary corridor
   
4. Landscape trees interspersed along the periphery of the development site and spread throughout the site, in close proximity to glass exterior walls
   

Both images from documents provided by the City of Omaha

This second image illustrates the extent of hazards present throughout the entire 9-acre development. They include:

1. An interior courtyard associated with the residential feature on the west side, near 19th street
   
2. Numerous corridors within the buildings which have various shapes and configurations that will confuse and birds which get within the setting
   
3. Extensive use of tree landscaping that will attract various migratory birds into a space where reflections of the vegetation lead to birds thinking there is another try to fly to, but instead it is just a reflection
   

The extensive use of glass mixed with landscaping and structure configurations and features match exactly those features which are known to lead to bird-window collisions and the deaths of hundreds of wild birds in downtown Omaha. It is the number of places that will present hazards within this site that is especially troubling about this project.

This project is expected to be completed in 2019.

Plans for this development convey it will have numerous places where bird death and injury could readily occur, and to an extent that will surpass any other building in the downtown area. Each occurrence of this sort will be a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The MBTA "specifically addresses foreseeable and predictable threats to federally protected birds," according to expert Dr. Daniel Klem Jr., Muhlenberg College. "Based on four decades of detailed evidence in the form of objective scientific research addressing bird-window collisions, the planned structure and its surroundings qualify as an obvious foreseeable and predictable lethal hazard to birds, resident and migratory."

There are also hundreds of records which indicate that bird-window strikes are prevalent in Omaha.

Grasshopper Sparrow Dies at Gavilon Building

Another wildbird has died due the deadly glass at the Gavilon building in downtown Omaha. It was a Grasshopper Sparrow found on the morning of May 20th. The carcass was found on the west side of the building, about fifteen feet from the south corner.

View of the deadly scene and a closeup of the dead sparrow on the sidewalk. The sparrow struck the glass at the upper portion of the picture.

 

There were eight bird-window strikes noted during the early morning survey. They included:

• unknown warbler on the west side of CenturyLink Center; a small colorful bird was seen being carried away by a Common Grackle; this is the first time this has ever been observed
  
• Orange-crowned warbler on the west side of CenturyLink Center
  
• female Common Yellowthroat on the west side of CenturyLink Center
  
• Tennessee Warbler on the west side of CenturyLink Center
  
• Dickcissel on the west side of CenturyLink Center
  
• another Orange-crowned Warbler on the west side of CenturyLink Center
  
• a male Indigo Bunting on the north side of the north tower at Central Park Plaza
  
• the Grasshopper Sparrow on the west side of the Gavilon building
  

Three of the birds found dead in downtown Omaha on the morning of May 20th.

The death of the sparrow is the second bird-window strike at the Gavilon building, since the recent completion of its construction.

More Dead Birds on Wednesday

Four additional dead birds were located Wednesday morning, May 21st. They were found at:

• a dead Ovenbird at the Gottschalk Freedom Center (an Omaha World-Herald building) on the west side, at the first section of glass from the north corner
  
• a dead Catbird at the west entrance of the north atrium at the First National Tower
  
• a dead female Common Yellowthroat on the north side of the Wentz Community Engagement Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, about 50 feet east of the doorway
  

A surprising find was a dead Red-bellied Woodpecker at the northwest corner of 37th and Leavenworth streets. The carcass was on the sidewalk beneath the industrial powerlines. It apparently hit one of the lines. This is not the first time that a wildbird was killed by this powerline. Based upon the location and condition, there were no indications it had been struck by a motor vehicle.

Dead birds found May 21, 2014 in eastern Omaha.

Overhead powerlines at 37th and Leavenworth Streets, at the site where a Red-bellied Woodpecker was killed.

First Strike Fatality at UNO Community Center

Having watched its construction, it became obvious that the class on the northern facade of the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center would be a deadly place for birds. It did not take long for a window-strike to occur at this most recently built building at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A dedication on April 17th marked the official opening of the structure.

On the morning of May 19th, a dead Swainson's Thrush was found beneath window on the north side of the building. The area had been scanned on many previous days, but this was the first time a carcass was located. The bird hit the reflective glass about 35 feet east of the doorway. The death probably occurred on the 18th.

The thrush carcass is in the near-center of the upper photograph, behind the second bit of greenery from the left side.

This is undoubtedly only the first bird-window strike that will result because of the extent of use of highly-reflective glass and due to the placement of landscaping. Numerous trees have been placed northward of the center and will be reflected in the glass panes. They are also at a distance sufficient to be a hazard when birds flew southward from them towards a hard surface which will be mistakenly perceived as a tree.

Fifteen Bird-strikes on Two May Days at Omaha

There were fifteen bird-window strikes documented on May 7-8 in eastern Omaha, especially downtown.

Ten of these occurred just on Wednesday. This is the earliest instance of this extent of strike occurrences ever recorded during the past few years of this personal effort.

Ruth Sokolof Theater

¶ disabled male Common Yellowthroat on the west side, near the ticket window (certainly it was not in line to buy a ticket to a movie!)

CenturyLink Center Omaha

¶ disabled Clay-colored Sparrow about ten feet north of the northmost entry

¶ a dead Red-winged Blackbird about 35 feet south of the northmost entry

¶ a disabled Common Yellowthroat about ten feet north of the second from north entry

¶ a dead Northern Waterthrush about three feet north of the southmost convention center entry

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow about 35 feet south of the northmost entry; this was at the same spot as the blackbird found earlier; this carcass was found during a early-morning second visit to the locality

Holland Performing Arts Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the southeast corner of the courtyard, at the north-facing entry

Nebraska State Office Building

¶ a dead Wood Thrush on the north side, at the section of windows at the eastern end

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a disabled Gray Catbird at the north side of the atrium

Omaha-Douglas Civic Center

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow at the entrance on the side side of the atrium

Thursday, May 8

Five different species were noted during the early morning bicycle rounds, just after a fast-moving rain-storm passed through...

CenturyLink Center Omaha

¶ a dead Common Yellowthroat male about ten feet south of the north corner of the west facade

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow about ten feet north of the first from north entry

¶ a dead Marsh Wren about 35 feet south of the northmost entry

¶ a dead Indigo Bunting between the southmost convention center entry and the third from north entry

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the doorway on the south side of the atrium

Friday, May 9

A cool, cloudy day with westerly wind. Only two instances of fatalities, at two of the regular buildings in east downtown Omaha.

CenturyLink Center Skywalk

¶ a dead Baltimore Oriole on the north side, and the eastern section

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow on the north side of the tower, at the third pane of glass from the west corner

The tally of bird-window collisions personally documented in Omaha is now at more than 1820 during more than six years of surveys.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to not take any enforcement activity though each strike instance is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This agency is basically worthless in this regards at Omaha, and numerous other cities where a multitude of birds are killed or injured in this manner.

First Bird Fatality at Gavilon Building

The first known bird-window collision at the recently finished Gavilon headquarters building was noted the morning of May 5. A Blackpoll Warbler carcass was found on the east side of the building in downtown Omaha (at 1331 Capitol Avenue), beneath a section of reflective glass at the street-level.

It was predicted months ago that due to the highly reflective glass used with this building, that bird deaths could be expected. It did not take long this spring season for that to occur.

Gavilon officials claimed the glass was low- to mid-reflectivity. This is not the case. The north side of the structure has the greatest extent of glass, and this is where the bird-window collisions had been expected.

Elsewhere in downtown Omaha, the following where also noted:

• Yellow-rumped Warbler: carcass on the south side of the Union Pacific Center, about ten feet from the west corner
  
• Gray Catbird: temporarily disabled on the west side of the Gottschalk Freedom Center (an Omaha World-Herald building) and at the second section of glass from the north corner
  
• Eastern Whip-poor-will: carcass on the south side of the First National Bank Building, and about 25 feet from the west corner. This is the first record of this species as a bird-window strike victim at Omaha.
  

More Fatalities on Tuesday

There were seven strike occurrences noted on Tuesday morning, May 6th.

CenturyLink Center Omaha

a disabled Clay-colored Sparrow on the west side, about 15 feet from the north corner of the facade

a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the same place

a dead Orange-crowned Warbler on the west side, about ten feet from the second from north entry

a dead Lincoln's Sparrow on the west side, about ten feet north of the southernmost convention center entry

Nebraska State Office Building

a disabled Swainson's Thrush on the north side, at the middle of the entry area

1200 Landmark Center

a dead Gray Catbird on the north side of the atrium, just east of the doors

Central Park Plaza

a dead Yellow-rumped Warbler on the north side of the north tower, at the eastern one-quarter

Each of these deaths is a taking, and therefore a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.