By Jim Cubie, J.D. resume with footnotes below “The recent report warning of a “stopover crisis” demands a refocus of bird conservation efforts away from urban lights to protecting these weakened birds where they are compelled to stop to feed and rest,” warned Jim Cubie, an independent conservation program expert.   Report summary  at https://www.audubon.org/news/spring-shifts-earlier-many-migrating-birds-are-struggling-keep  Citation at footnote 1. Because of climate change, bird migration timing is out of synch with local food sources. Birds at these feeding-resting sites ..read more

Who Turns Out the Lights? Author:  Jim Cubie, J.D. fn.1 Every light in the building must be turned off.  If one of two storefronts on the street are still lit, or one story is still lit, the birds will be attracted to it, hit it and die.  Attraction is the basic premise of the Lights Out Program. Who will make sure all the lights are off every night? Is it the absentee owner, the manager, the renter, franchisor or an employee who decides?  Because of complex ownership patterns of buildings and conflicting laws effective light management will be nearly impossible. Farm conse ..read more

The post Comparing the Effectiveness of Lights Out to Permanent Collision Preventoin Systems appeared first on Ornithologycenter ..read more

Jim Cubie, J.D. retired * We should compare the options for preventing bird window collision deaths. Mr. Longacre does not want to make comparisons between the options to prevent window collision bird deaths. Federal and many state laws require cost/benefit analysis. A comparison of options is required as part of a cost/benefit analysis. A regulation not supported by a cost/benefit analysis in most situations will not withstand a legal challenge.  All his work in Los Angeles may be for nought if it does not have the support of cost/benefit analysis including a comparison of options.  ..read more

Bird Friendly Yards Must Start as Bird Safe Yards Will Our Native Plant Efforts Do No Good? By Jim Cubie jimcubie1@gmail.com 8/18/2021 “ This is critical strategic analysis” – leading native plant scientist Dr. Doug Tallamy (An earlier version of this document can also be downloaded at Doug Tallamy’s site) https://homegrownnationalpark.org/guest-posts/window-strikes-and-native-plants-guest-cont ributor “You can’t fill the tub unless you plug the drain.” “The windows in our homes and cats in our yards are just as much a part of our ecosystem as the native trees we plant.” The Challenge Bird-fri ..read more

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I have always wanted beautiful long hair white kittens. When my adoption center announced that it had ten, I was there in a New York minute. They were so happy I would adopt 10. “Just a few questions,” they said. “Will you give them a good safe home?” “Of course, I said, but there are coyotes that kill a few cats around so I might lose one or two.” Aghast, they said, ”two dead kittens, no adoptIon!!!!” I said, “what’s the problem?” There are millions more cats every year, but bird populations are down 30% and no one cares if a few of my feeder birds are killed every year hitting my windows. I ..read more

I have always wanted beautiful long hair white kittens. When my adoption center announced that it had ten, I was there in a New York minute. They were so happy I would adopt 10. “Just a few questions,” they said. “Will you give them a good safe home?” “Of course, I said, but there are coyotes that kill a few cats around so I might lose one or two.” Aghast, they said,”two dead kittens, no adoptIon!!!!” I said, “what’s the problem?” There are millions more cats every year, but bird populations are down 30% and no one cares if a few of my feeder birds are killed every year hitting my windows. I l ..read more

          Turning Off Home Lights:  NO Scientific Justification  Jim Cubie Ornithology Center at Muhlenberg College I followed this quote, “make a big difference” all the way back to its source. When asked the question,  “How could this be?” I was referred to the Van Doren paper.  It is the only study showing that light management in a building can reduce window collision deaths.  His text says that it applies to low rise buildings with large window spaces and with lights which are often on all night. It does ..read more

Bird Protection Resources for Local Activists The purpose of this site is to protect birds from deadly window collisions by helping clubs promote window collision prevention – especially in homes. Other sites focus on new laws and skyscrapers. The site has had over 4,000 visits. All the information on the site has been reviewed by experts, such as Dr. Daniel Klem and Dr. Martin Rossler. The material has been prepared  by a retired attorney who has led bird  window collision prevention efforts in his community for four years.  He set up his sunroom as a display room where neighbo ..read more