Bird-Strikes Increase in Eastern Omaha in July 2009 Compared to 2008 Records

There were more bird-strikes known to occur in eastern Omaha during July 2009 than during July 2008. During the month this year, there were 30 known instances, compared to 19 during the same period last year.

Bird Species	Jul 2008	Jul 2009
Sora	-	1
Mourning Dove	-	1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	-	2
Belted Kingfisher	1	-
Northern Flicker	1	1
Purple Martin	-	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	-	1
American Robin	1	2
European Starling	-	3
Ovenbird	-	1
Indigo Bunting	-	2
Common Grackle	16	12
House Finch	-	1
House Sparrow	-	1
Plus a Passeriformes that could not be suitably identified due to its degraded condition.

A greater diversity of species (13) was also noted in comparison to only 4 during the same month a year ago. Once again the Common Grackle - notably fledgling or juvenile birds - comprised the greater proportion of the known strikes. Every instance but one was a fatality this year.

The carcass of the White-breasted Nuthatch found at the Central Park Plaza, was the first known fatality for this species.

One factor that would influence the greater tally, was keeping track of two species - the European Starling and House Sparrow - which were not documented last year. These species are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so were not considered previously. Both were included this year to provide a better view of the total number of strikes which occurred.

Though the species noted last year were mostly local residents that would be expected in urban habitats of downtown Omaha (except for the kingfisher), this year there were several which would occur locally but not in any of the settings that occur downtown. This would include the Sora, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ovenbird and Indigo Bunting, indicating the local — or perhaps regional — movement of these species because of failed nesting or in response to other influences that might cause them to go elsewhere.

The occurrence of strikes was also more generally distributed throughout the month, as shown by the different dates when strikes were documented during the month.

The species noted on July 15 included the American Robin, Common Grackle, European Starling and Ovenbird.

This species could not be indentified. Two prominent birders were asked to suggest an identity. One suggested a juvenile Baltimore Oriole, and the other suggested a Yellow Warbler. This carcass was present for just two days when these pictures were taken. The ants were obviously at work, removing all the feathers and other non-bony parts of the head so quickly.

Bird strikes were known for 13 different locations/buildings this July, compared to nine during July last year.

Julian Date Jul 2008 Jul 2009 182 (1 July) - 1 183 - 2 185 - 3 187 5 2 190 2 2 192 - 2 193 7 - 194 - 3 195 3 - 196 (15 July) - 7 201 - 2 203 1 - 206 - 2 208 (27 July) - 3 209 1 - 212 - 1

Building Jul 2008 Jul 2009 1200 Landmark Center - 5 16th Street - North Skywalk - 1 Central Park Plaza 2 2 First National Tower - 1 Gottschalk Freedom Center 1 2 Holland Center for Performing Arts 1 1 J.P. Cooke Company 1 - Kiewit-Clarkson Skywalk - 5 Law Building - 1 Nebraska State Office Building 3 - O'Keefe Elevator Company 1 - Omaha Public Power District Energy Plaza 4 3 Qwest Center Omaha 1 3 Swanson-Durham Skywalk - 1 Woodmen Tower - 1 Woodmen Tower Skywalk 5 3

The skywalk from the Kiewit Tower to Clarkson Doctor's Building South was one of the sites with a greater number of fatalities. This was determined as the site was visited on a more regular basis this year, whereas last year, it was not visited at all. With the arrival by the first of the July of the multitude of Purple Martins at the midtown roost site - discovered in August, 2008 - there was more attention given to the place in order to evaluate what impact the skywalk was having. All but one of the strikes noted were Common Grackles, except for a dead Purple Martin noted on 25 July.

The Swanson Center to Durham Research Center I also was not part of a visit routine last year. It is still only intermittently visited, so undoubtedly more strikes occur than have been recorded.

The number of strikes which have occurred is undoubtedly greater, as building owners have certainly removed bird carcasses as they are aware of efforts to document the strikes, and thus throw away any birds which they find on the property.

As of the end of the month, there have been 75 species recorded from 554 known bird strikes since May 1, 2008 in eastern Omaha. Each instance of a bird-strike is an obvious violation of a enforceable law, via the taking clause of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, administered — though not addressed in each of these instances at Omaha and elsewhere across the nation — by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The owners of the buildings where these bird strikes occur, have — often repeatedly — been in violation of federal law where fines may be levied for documented occurrence of the death of a migratory bird species defined by the legal statutes, yet there has been no effort to address the ongoing instances of bird-strikes which are obviously occurring, again and again.

When it comes to bird-strikes, there is a vast multitude of miscreants — people responsible for a building — that again and again violate a federal law, while nothing is done to lessen the dangers to migratory birds and reduce so many unneeded fatalities caused to a resource which is so important and valued by so many bird-watchers that value a live bird.

Yet! Birds continue to get killed, with each instance a distinct tragedy ... and suffering as a living bird dies.

Northern Flicker carcass at the Gottschalk Freedom Center, an Omaha World-Herald building. This carcass was still present on August 4th, though it was further degraded and had been moved a short distance. An American Robin carcass noted a couple of days earlier at the same spot, also still remains and has not moved at all.