This week, we’re introducing you to BirdSafe Maine, a collaboration between Maine Audubon, the Portland Society for Architecture, and the University of Southern Maine. Through volunteer work and advocacy, this collaboration addresses the issue of bird glass strikes here in Maine, contributing to an international community of nonprofit organizations working to protect the lives of millions of birds against the threat of collision.

Birds aplenty

Beyond their beauty and the music they bring to our world, birds make invaluable contributions to our environment. From your backyard to Hinckley Park, birds play an important role within the delicate balance of Maine’s ecosystems.

Songbirds disperse seeds and act as pollinators. They also help to control bug and insect populations and serve as a food source for other native animals. Birds of prey help to keep rodent populations in check. Scavengers, like vultures, help to clean roadways and other human infrastructure, keeping our neighborhoods clean and free from disease.

It goes without saying that human infrastructure is not a natural part of the environment. As our building capacity has grown, so too has our want to experience the outdoors from the comfort of the indoors. Buildings clad in glass, though beautiful for human habitation, can be deadly for birds who cannot differentiate between their natural habitat and the reflection of it in your glass sliding door.

Glass collisions kill up to one billion birds in North America each year, so when we lose these birds, we lose the many contributions they bring to our lives.

How you can be bird safe

There are many opportunities for you to make your home bird friendly. The American Bird Conservancy suggests a number of solutions that range from applying stickers, painting, or installing external screens to your windows, to fully replacing windows with etched or Ultraviolet (UV)-patterned glass.

Follow BirdSafe Maine collaborators and events like Coffee & Climate to learn more about how you can incorporate bird safe practices in all spaces.

February Coffee & Climate: Being Bird Friendly and Bird Safe

Join us Friday, Feb. 10 from 9 to 10 a.m. for this month’s Coffee & Climate: Being Bird Friendly and Bird Safe. Nick Lund of Maine Audubon and Addy Smith-Reiman of the Portland Society for Architecture will join us to discuss wildlife conservation and the importance of bird safe architecture here in Maine and why we should be considering the same in our homes.

Grab a cup of coffee and join us online. Sign up for this Zoom get-together through the Zoom registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information about BirdSafe Maine or more information about how to report bird strikes and to find resources on making your home or business bird safe, visit https://maineaudubon.org/advocacy/birdsafe/.

For more information about the American Bird Conservancy bird safe recommendations, visit https://abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/products-database/.

Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.

Steve Genovese is a Greater Portland Council of Goverments Resilience Corps Fellow serving in the South Portland Sustainability Office on an 11-month term. He can be reached at sgenovese@southportland.org.