The ongoing bird saga at McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center in Chicago is finally taking a turn for the better. You may recall that in the fall of 2023, McCormick Place was the site of a bird massacre. Nearly 1,000 migrating birds died in collisions with the facility’s glass facade that looks out over Lake Michigan. In response, and under pressure from Chicago bird advocate groups, McCormick Place installed bird-safe film at a cost of $1.2 million to help prevent future tragedies.
Now, finally, some good news. According to the Chicago Tribune, last fall, as a direct result of the bird-safe film and other bird-safety measures, like turning unnecessary lights off at night, McCormick Place reported only 18 bird fatalities during the fall 2024 migration season. Compared to 1,280 deaths in 2023 and 771 in 2022, the 2024 migration season was a vast improvement.
Bird collisions at other downtown buildings in Chicago were similar to previous years, so experts say the decline in deaths at McCormick Place is not just a statistical aberration. Experts are looking forward to the spring migration season in the hopes that the low number of bird casualties hold and the bird-safe film installation can be considered an unmitigated success.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
