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.