Over 1,000 Migrating Birds are Dead After Crashing into a Chicago Building

Tragedy has struck in Chicago with one of the most unusual instances we have ever heard of happening. Where migration is usually a joyous event for birds, it has turned into a real life nightmare.

Migrating Birds Sighting in Chicago

A sad occurrence in Chicago has led to the findings of over 1,000 birds dead after crashing into a building in Chicago. Last Wednesday and Thursday, October 4-5th, 2023, it was reported by the Chicago Field Museum. There was collected over 1,000 dead birds outside of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center.

A group of volunteers, known as the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, assisted with this massive cleanup of over 1,000 birds. According to their mission, the “Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (CBCM) is a volunteer conservation project dedicated to the protection of migratory birds through rescue, advocacy and outreach.”

The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors director, Annette Prince, talked with CNN. She reported that “It was overwhelming and tragic to see this many birds,” Prince said. “I went to a building where, when I walked up to the building, it was like there was just a carpet of dead and dying and injured birds.”

Prince went out to describe, along with the building statement, that this tragic occurrence was a result of horrible weather conditions, winds, and the size of the building. It was reported that the birds most likely had to fly lower due to the clouds, which made them all collide with the building.

The lights in the buildings, especially those with glass, attract more attention to animals. Prince added, ​​“Those lights are a very prominent attraction for birds – almost like a lighthouse.”

How Many Birds Migrate Each Year?

Have you ever been driving home from work and suddenly seen a massive number of birds flying in the air? Sometimes to the point where it’s almost eerie, like something out of a horror movie. Well, don’t be frightened; this is a very normal occurrence, and it is called a bird migration. According to the All About Birds organization, “Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations.”

No one can give an exact number of how many birds there are. However, it is estimated that there are around 50 billion birds. This spans across the estimated 10,000 species of birds there are.

The National Aquarium estimates that of these 50 billion birds, an estimated 3.5 billion of them migrate. They migrate “back into the United States from their southern wintering grounds” they are on.