An eastern meadowlark, recently killed in a collision with a Chicago building. (Courtesy of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors)

Spring migration is still weeks away from reaching its peak in Chicago and already the tiny body bags are piling up, filled with birds killed in collisions with the city’s glass buildings.

The majority of these deaths are preventable, advocates say, which is why members of the Bird Friendly Chicago coalition are labeling a just-released update to Chicago’s sustainable development policy a failure.

The draft of the revised policy — the first update since 2017 — was shared with the public on Monday. Instead of making bird protection a requirement for new construction (and significant renovation projects), the policy assigns a point value to bird-friendly mitigations along with all the other menu options developers can choose from to reach a 100-point target.

An ordinance passed in 2020 had instructed the Department of Planning and Development to increase the weight given to bird protection, and the new policy draft does indeed boost the incentive by as much as 300%. Bird protection point values of 20 and 30 are among the highest of the dozens of choices, on par with many renewable energy and stormwater retention credits.

But given Chicago’s status as the country’s most dangerous city for migratory birds, advocates like Judy Pollock, president of Chicago Bird Alliance, say the optional nature of the sustainability checklist falls far short of the goal of stemming bird deaths. 

“That’s shameful,” Pollock said. “Will the increased points stop someone who wants to build with transparent glass? Doubtful. There are many ways you can get those (100) points.”

Bags of dead birds, collected this migration season in Chicago. (Courtesy Chicago Bird Collision Monitors)

Annette Prince, director of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, spent Tuesday rescuing injured birds and collecting the dead. Her disappointment in the sustainability policy was palpable.

“Birds are a natural resource,” Prince said. “If protecting the environment isn’t part of sustainability — what is?”

She questioned why bird protection is being treated as different from other mandatory safety standards implemented to prevent harm, albeit typically related to humans. 

“Bird-friendly building design shouldn’t be optional points,” Prince said. “Inconvenience, cost or preference doesn’t allow you to avoid putting lifesaving protections in place.”

The Department of Planning and Development is fielding feedback on the policy draft through May 15, largely in the form of an online survey. Comments can also be sent via email to [email protected]. Full implementation of the finalized policy is expected by Jan. 1, 2025.

Bird Friendly Chicago is encouraging its supporters to respond to the survey but is also redirecting its efforts to passing an enforceable ordinance that would, Prince said, guarantee bird protection instead of leaving it as an option.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]