Glossy new LRT stations could prove deadly to city's birds

Ottawa's glossy new LRT stations may prove fatal for the city's winged creatures, a local animal activist fears.

Many of the Confederation Line's above-ground stations feature shiny metal exteriors and large windows, a clear hazard for birds, according to Anouk Hoedeman, co-ordinator of Safe Wings Ottawa.

Glass like that is just really deadly for birds because they don't understand it.- Anouk Hoedeman, Safe Wings Ottawa

"I see a huge hazard for birds because they can see straight through a lot of this glass, and there's a lot of bird activity around here," Hoedeman told Ottawa Morning's Hallie Cotnam outside Bayview station on Wednesday.

"Glass like that is just really deadly for birds because they don't understand it, and our LRT stations have a lot of glass, and this one in particular."

The LRT line crosses a popular corridor for birds travelling between Dow's Lake and the Ottawa River, Hoedeman said.

Bird-friendly options ignored

Hoedeman said she raised the issue of bird-friendly design early on in the LRT planning process, but it appears she was ignored.

Fixing those problem after the fact can be costly, and sparsely distributed decals don't help much because birds will simply avoid them and strike a clear panel of glass, she said.

"What you really need to have is a fairly dense pattern on the glass. Two-inch spacing is ideal ... so that the birds see the entire surface of the glass as an obstacle," Hoedeman said.

A good example is Place Bell on Elgin Street, she said, which is designed in a bird-friendly way that doesn't obstruct the view from inside, she said.

Hoedeman is hoping to press the point as the city embarks on the planning for Stage 2 of the LRT.

Report bird strikes

In the meantime, Hoedeman is asking people to be on the lookout for bird strikes.

If you find a bird that has struck a window, pick it up as soon as possible so that it doesn't get stepped on or picked off by a predator. Place it in a paper bag or box and call Safe Wings, Hoedeman said.

"The more we know about these collisions, including what species it is, what time it happens, where, what side of the building, the more we understand the problem," she said.

"Having that information also helps us identify which are the worst buildings and which are the worst facades so that we can prioritize doing something about those."