Birds and buildings don’t mix. The tall structures with reflective surfaces are often lighted at night, creating potential — often fatal — problems for migrating birds. Now, the plight of Flaco — the New York City owl that died on in February 2024 when he flew into a window of an Upper West Side building — is prompting action.
Two new bills aiming to protect New York City’s bird population from hazardous building materials and light pollution were introduced in October, according to the Columbia Spectator. The bills follow the death of Flaco the owl, who famously escaped a Central Park Zoo enclosure in 2023.
Intro 1073 is the third and final installment of so-called Flaco’s laws, which began with a bill to ban rodenticide and implement a rat contraceptive pilot program in the city. The new bill proposes a mandate for existing buildings to replace their reflective glass windows with bird-friendly materials. Alterations to buildings must be completed by January 2030.
Packaged with Intro 1073 and Intro 0896, Flaco’s second law limits the amount of light buildings may illuminate at night in an effort to reduce light pollution. Bird-rights activists say light pollution harms birds by attracting them toward buildings.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
