Fears New York buildings’ deadly toll on migratory birds could be on the rise

Annual bird survey suggests ‘particularly bad’ autumn on key migration route through city’s brightly lit skyscrapers

As fall bird migration nears its end in New York City, a troubling trend may be emerging: preliminary evidence suggest that more avians collided with buildings this season compared with last autumn.

NYC Bird Alliance surveys suggest that collisions are up citywide and that it has proved to be a “particularly bad” autumn for collisions. While spring 2024 showed fewer collisions than in 2023, about 60-75% of such accidents occur during fall migration, which peaks from early September to October.