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Parramatta: High-rise buildings killing birds

Birds are becoming casualties of rapid high-rise development encroaching on urban sprawl with many dying after slamming into glass windows.

High-rise construction is takings its toll on birds.
High-rise construction is takings its toll on birds.

Birds are becoming casualties of rapid high-rise development encroaching on urban sprawl with many dying after slamming into glass windows.

Dead lorikeets and myna birds can often be seen lying on the pavement and heard slamming into windows of unit and office blocks.

WIRES spokesman John Grant said high-rise buildings were one more threat to birds in a modern environment.

Lorikeets and myna birds are fatally slamming into buildings.
Lorikeets and myna birds are fatally slamming into buildings.

“They’re vulnerable to cars, they’re vulnerable to domestic pets,’’ he said.

“They’re trying to adapt in all these situations and they can’t.”

In Canada, neuroscience student Brendon Samuels is planning to embark on a study that uses cameras to track birds’ vision and ascertain why they keep striking into large glass structures at his university campus.

“I want to look at it from the bird’s eyes — how they see, how their vision contributes to being able to see or not see an obstacle,’’ he told phys.org.

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The growing problem has left scope for studies locally, Mr Grant said.

He also said land clearing and climate could be to blame for threatening birds’ habitats. He said avian experts has also noticed an increase in underweight insect-eating birds.

The decrease could be less food because of land clearing and WIRES is pursuing further study into the investigation.

In 2016, a mass death of rainbow lorikeets swept the east coast after a tree, which rarely produced flowers, bore toxic fruit.

“WIRES had people calling with up to 20 deceased birds in their gardens,’’ Mr Grant said.

He said netting could also be to blame for deaths.

“Netting is a big problem for a lot of native animals,’’ he said.

He said birds such as wedge-tailed eagles could get tangled.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/parramatta-highrise-buildings-killing-birds/news-story/0ed044d2e54cfd7655e2c44b0e222acf