Why This Matters

Jersey City sits at a critical location along the Atlantic Flyway, where millions of birds migrate each spring and fall.

In cities, that journey becomes far more dangerous. More than one billion birds are killed each year in the U.S. after colliding with buildings, making window strikes one of the leading human-caused threats to birds.

Glass can reflect sky and trees or appear invisible, while artificial light at night can disorient migrating birds — drawing them into cities and putting them at greater risk of collision. Buildings near green spaces and waterfronts, like those across Jersey City, can become especially dangerous.

During migration, volunteers patrol Jersey City streets looking for birds that have collided with windows. Victims include rare and threatened species like warblers, thrushes, wrens, and hummingbirds. Tragically, most do not survive. And volunteers find only a fraction of the total number of birds, as most are swept up in trash, fall into inaccessible areas, or fly away in a surge of adrenaline, only to die later from their injuries. These collisions often go unseen, but they are happening every day — and they are preventable.

The good news: There are effective, proven solutions. Options include bird-safe glass, tinted glass, adhesive films, ultraviolet dots, and external insect screens. Bird-friendly design can significantly reduce collisions and help birds move safely through our city.

With the passage of Jersey City’s bird-friendly buildings ordinance, we now have an opportunity to turn awareness into action — and make our skyline safer for the birds that pass through it each year.