New York, the city of asphalt, is identified by its fauna of cockroaches, rats and raccoons. These species enjoy the distinction of being true New Yorkers.
But, as surprising as it may seem, this metropolis is also one of the privileged places to observe the migrations of winged beings, despite the threat posed by its skyscrapers climbing towards the sky like modern towers of Babel.
Some of these birds, due to their rarity, are sought after by birdwatchers to capture them with their cameras as if they were a true treasure.
See, for example, what happened a couple of days ago during the weather report on NY1. John Davitt, chief meteorologist for the local television channel, was talking about the forecasts and before he gave a preview for the long weekend – this Monday is a holiday and marks the beginning of the summer season – he suddenly appeared on the screen a sign that said:
“Bird Alert”
Davitt smiled and made a note. “It is not an error or a joke,” he commented to explain the reason why this notice appeared in the midst of suns, clouds and showers, lightning, thunder and lightning.
The matter has little to do with Alfred Hitchcock’s disturbing story in his 1963 film. Now it is quite the opposite. The birds are not the enemies, but the birds to protect against the impulse of such a luminous real estate sector, very often in defiance of Mother Nature.
This month, and until the beginning of June, is the high season for bird migrations through the city (the return is from October). If you go to Central Park, you spot a lot of people with binoculars. That warning sign was inserted to request that on Tuesday night, days when the main traffic was expected this spring, New Yorkers turn off the lights in their homes after 11 p.m. or keep only the essential ones.
The danger is real and has increased in the last decade with the rise of very tall residential buildings that are characterized by their glass facades that, between their transparency and their reflections, confuse more and more of these travelers.
The Big Apple is located on one of the busiest bird routes in the world. The “real estate brilliance” causes some 250,000 birds to die annually in these migrations due to impacts with buildings, according to the NYC Audobon organization, dedicated to the science and conservation of winged animals.
Artificial light, they point out from this entity, nullifies the ability of migratory birds to navigate, causing them to collide directly with the light source or dragging them towards brightly lit parts of the city, even exposing them to the threat of collision during the day.
Birds need to rest and regain strength in places with vegetation, limited spaces in New York. When the crystals reflect vegetation or show a route that birds perceive as real, they fly there to try to access vegetation or travel through a space that does not exist, and they crash. The reflection of vegetation on transparent facades is the main cause of accidents.
That’s why the city makes a request to its citizens: turn off the lights.
