Birds and Buildings — Safe Wings Ottawa

Photo:  An unfortunate bird after it has collided with a building.

You may have heard about the wild turkey sprinting down Slater Street last month, but dozens of smaller and less visible birds pass unnoticed through Ottawa’s downtown core every single day. Various sparrows, thrushes, warblers, and woodpeckers, to name just a few, make their way through bustling downtown, invisible to busy commuters even after they fall on the sidewalk from colliding with a window. In Ottawa, at least 200,000 birds are estimated to be killed yearly by colliding with glass. 

Safe Wings Ottawa is a program of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club which works to reduce bird mortality from window collisions through research, rescue, and education. Led by Safe Wings co-ordinator, Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl, we will explore a part of the downtown core and discuss building features common to many building types which make these particular structures a danger to birds. Sarah will point out bird-friendly treatments and explain why some are successful, and some are not. Participants will learn why birds collide with windows, and about best practices and strategies they can employ to make their own home or workplace safer for these captivating creatures. 

The solution to this problem is simple and easy for anyone to implement. Everyone has access to a window, and if we all made a little effort, together we could make a big change for the better to prevent one of the top human causes of bird mortality: window collisions!

Carte indiquant le point de départ
Trajet

Meet at the north entrance to City Hall (Marion Dewar Plaza, 110 Laurier Ave).  From City Hall, we will walk to the National Arts Centre, then head west along Queen St. to Kent, then up to the Bank of Canada on Wellington, where the walk will end. 

Au sujet du guide

Sarah has a degree in biology and has conducted wildlife field studies, worked for conservation organizations, and is passionate about educating the public. She is particularly drawn to the issue of window collisions because of its devastating effect on migratory birds.

Learn more about Safe Wings at safewings.ca.

Guide:

Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl

Quand:
Date:dim 6 mai, 2018
Heure:10h30
Durée: 1 heure
Langue: anglais
Où:
Début:City Hall, north entrance
Fin:Bank of Canada, ..............................234 Wellington St
Quartier:Centretown
Distance:1.0 km
Accessibilité:

The walk will follow city sidewalks 

Galerie d'images
An unfortunate bird after it has collided with a window.
Portez-vous bénévole pour mener cette promenade