Toronto is a 'death trap' for birds, here's how to protect them

If you've seen more dead birds on the street recently than usual, there's a reason.

This time of year is spring migration, when many migratory birds move north, a spokesperson for the Toronto Wildlife Center (TWC) told Now in an emailed statement.

But the city is built on ancient migration routes, leaving thousands of birds to navigate man-made “death traps” each season, TWC explained.

Toronto's spring migration occurs between mid-March and early June, when millions of birds navigate the city's cobbled streets and cloud-piercing skyscrapers.

According to the City of Toronto website, “The Toronto area is an important staging area for migratory birds, many of which fly thousands of kilometers between their wintering grounds and summer breeding grounds.”

Windows are especially treacherous because birds can't see through them, or the glass reflects things like trees or clouds, causing some birds to fly into what they think is natural. Other nocturnal migrants can be attracted to lighted windows.

Most of the birds migrate at night, using natural signals from the moon and stars to navigate, but they are drawn to urban mazes by city lights, where they often bump into unseen building windows, the city says.

“When they hit the windows, they can suffer minor head injuries, nose or eye injuries, broken bones, or it can kill them,” TWC explained.

Turning off non-essential lights is an effective way for businesses and residents to make Toronto a safer place for migratory birds.

You can also install bird glass, glass with patterns or visual markers on the surface that distort reflections.

During the migration season, turning off external floodlights is also an effective measure, and workers can use lamp lighting at their desks and turn off ceiling lights near windows.

According to CTV News, 25 million birds fly into windows and die every year in Canada.