CBCM Introduction

You may try to contain an injured bird in a paper bag or box. Close the bag or box securely so that the bird does not escape and place in a quiet, dark area away from extreme heat or cold. Do not offer the bird any food or water. Call our hotline or a wildlife rehabilitation center for assistance.

Featuring Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and their work for light reduction and bird safety in the city.

is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky. It premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music. After moving to light-polluted New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks: “Do we need the dark?” Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawai’i, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, philosophers, historians, and lighting designers, THE CITY DARK is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars.

Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (CBCM) works as a non-profit volunteer project within the Chicago Audubon Society.

make a check payable to "Chicago Audubon Society." Write "for CBCM" on the memo Line.

Join our work rescuing and protecting the birds that pass through our city next spring.

IF YOU ARE BUILDING MANAGEMENT LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE YOUR WINDOWS AND LIGHTING SAFER FOR BIRDS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR HOTLINE: 773 988 1867 or email us: contact us

PLEASE JOIN THE LIGHTS OUT PROGRAM AND TURN OFF ALL BRIGHT DISPLAY LIGHTING ON THE TOP OF YOUR BUILDING FROM 11:00 PM TO SUNRISE DURING SPRING MIGRATION - March 15 TO June 15.

DIM OR TURN OFF BRIGHT LOBBY LIGHTS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THIS PREVENTS BIRDS FROM FLYING INTO WINDOWS AS THEY TRY TO REACH THE PLANTS AND TREES INSIDE.

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Red-tailed Hawk flies through suburban window!!

Either in pursuit of prey, attracted by something on the other side of transparent glass or fooled by a reflection, this female hawk broke through the double pane glass of a suburban front window. Home security alarms alerted the family of a break-in to their home. When they found this very large bird of prey in their living room, they called Chicago Bird Collision Monitors who safely rescued the bird and took it to Willowbrook Wildlife Center. The hawk was evaluated and found to have only minor injuries. Amazing, considering the force with which it must have hit the heavy glass!

Many of the millions of birds that strike windows every year at residential and commercial structures are not as fortunate.

Find ways to make your windows safer for birds. Call us for help.

Rehabilitation at Willowbrook Wildlife Center. Recovered and returned to its territory in the wild.

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In 2011 the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors recovered more than 6,000 dead or injured migratory birds from more than 140 different species.

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CBCM found this Black-and-white Warbler outside a downtown building. The little bird had a band that identified it as a warbler that hatched in Ontario, Canada in 2005. It traveled between its northern breeding grounds to the southern United States or Central America 5 times before its sixth migration brought it through Chicago where is died from a collision with a building. How unfortunate for a bird that can live to be 11 years old! How important it makes finding building designs and lighting solutions that are safer for birds!

Fortunately, many other birds were rescued this spring - like this Blue-winged Warbler that was cared for by Willowbrook Wildlife Center and released safely back into the wild.

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The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors is an all volunteer, hands-on, grass-roots conservation effort for migratory birds. We work to rescue birds injured from striking buildings and we mitigate the risks of bird-building collisions by educating the public and working with building managers and architects to find solutions. Most people don't know that birds hitting glass and buildings is one of the top killers of migratory birds. The estimates are chilling and top out at 1 billion birds....a year.... in the US alone!!!!

The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors project began in spring 2003. It was late spring 2002 when Robbie Hunsinger first monitored collisions. There was no monitoring program in place then, just one dedicated person going out to monitor for birds, Ken Wysocki. At that point, Ken and Robbie were mainly documenting fatalities. There was a terrible fallout in Fall 2002 with all of the lights on downtown which motivated Robbie to get more involved and to try to get an organization formed to deal with this devastating conservation issue. She began contacting building managers and others downtown for assistance and began recruiting volunteers in fall 2002. Robbie officially founded the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors program in spring 2003, and the program has grown significantly since that time. In 2004 Chicago became the first US city to go dark during spring and fall bird migrations! Thanks to our continued monitoring of night time lights, our follow- ups with managers, and our building recruitment efforts, a significant number of birds are flying safely over the downtown area.

During migration most of our Chicago building managers now participate in our efforts to save migrants. From mid-August to mid-November and from mid-March to mid-June, many buildings in the loop now dim or extinguish their rooftop display lighting and lobbies after 11pm.

Our cooperative relations with building managers, security staff, sweepers, doormen and office workers play a significant role in helping save more birds. The CBCM HOTLINE responds to thousands of bird collision calls from the public each year.

The following is a link to this Spring's two-part Daily Herald story on bird rescue and protection: click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

Bird protection efforts are featured in this spring's Humane Society of the United States "All Animals" magazine: click here .

Learn about the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors in the spring 2008 edition of the Habitat Herald: click here .

Chicago Bird Collision Monitors' Site!

Migratory Bird Rescue and Protection

	Welcome to the
	Chicago Bird Collision Monitors' Site!

	We received the 2005 CHICAGO AUDUBON SOCIETY'S " PROTECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENT " AWARD! *and the 2007 Friends of the Parks ADVOCACY AWARD!*
	We are very honored by these recognitions and will do our best to continue our efforts to protect and rescue migratory birds.