Creating Bird-Safe Buildings in Austin

The Environmental Commission of Austin has voted to establish a working group dedicated to promoting bird-safe building designs in an effort to uphold the city’s “Bird City” title. This decision, with only one abstention, follows a presentation by bird collision prevention expert Heidi Trudell, who conducted her research for the Travis Audubon Society. The working group will include commissioners Jennifer Bristol, Peter Einhorn, and Dave Sullivan, along with representatives from various organizations such as the American Institute of Architects and the Animal Advisory Commission.
The resolution, introduced by Bristol, highlights Austin’s potential to set a precedent for other Texas cities in adopting bird-friendly design standards. Despite a previous unanimous recommendation by the Animal Advisory Commission in 2022 for the City Council to adopt such standards, no action was taken.
Austin earned the “Bird City” designation last year from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department due to its bird-friendly policies, including limiting nonessential lighting during bird migration periods. Conservationists like Craig Nazor of the Sierra Club have stressed the urgency of these measures, citing significant declines in bird populations observed over the decades.
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