BirdSafe Maine‘s Fall 2024 migration season concluded on Oct. 31, our fifth fall on the streets. In that time we’ve made some amazing progress in that time—highlighted by a new bird safe architecture ordinance in Portland and a new law to create statewide guidelines—but this fall we enjoyed a very satisfying realization of the effectiveness of bird safe principles. Read below!
NEWS
No fatalities at MEMIC. The building on Commercial Street occupied by MEMIC was one of the deadliest along our route for years. The MEMIC team began discussing potential treatment of their windows in early 2023, and decided to begin installation of Feather Friendly decals last fall, a significant expense. Installation was not completed during our season last fall, but early returns on the effectiveness of the treatment were promising. This fall was our chance to give it a full test, and we’re thrilled to say that MEMIC passed with flying colors: we didn’t find a single dead bird behind MEMIC this fall. This is a real validation of the effectiveness of bird safe products, and we thank MEMIC again for its efforts on behalf of birds in Maine.
Volunteer Thank You Party on Nov. 13 at 6:00 pm at Oxbow in Portland. Everyone—volunteers, supporters, friends, neighbors—is welcome to attend our traditional end-of-season BirdSafe Wrap Party on Wednesday Nov. 13 at Oxbow Brewing at 49 Washington Ave. in Portland. Join us to celebrate the successful conclusion of another season, talk birds, and swap stories with your fellow volunteers!
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW!
We’ve already received a number of reports from around the state to include on our Winter 2024-25 list, so please keep sending in reports of bird strikes you find to birdstrike@maineaudubon.org.
Additionally, we’d really appreciate any donations that could help keep this work going. We’ve made great progress, and have exciting plans for the future, but we need assistance to get there. Donate here, and thank you!
ON THE ROUTE
BirdSafe volunteers found a total of 84 dead or injured birds on the streets of Portland this season. This total represents a slight decrease over last year, likely attributed to the absence of dead bird from the MEMIC alley (which contributed more than 30 birds in some years). As always, these numbers are limited by the luck that our volunteers have of getting to them before the hungry gulls do!
As expected, Common Yellowthroats were the most commonly found species this fall, with 16 individuals. Other species included American Redstart, Black-capped Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Creeper, Eastern Phoebe, Hermit Thrush, House Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Mourning Dove, Nashville Warbler, Nelson’s Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Northern Parula, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swainson’s Thrush, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
We found birds at 27 different addresses along our route, though the most strikes were at buildings that have long been known to us. Those buildings include 110 Thames St. (occupied by SunLife, Fullscope RMS, and others), 1 Hancock St. (occupied by WEX), and 12 Mountfort St. (occupied by Covetrus).
Our Portland route isn’t usually a source of delight, but several volunteers enjoyed viewing an (alive and healthy) Barred Owl that spent several days in the small plaza behind the TD Bank in October. The plaza is one of the most important pocket parks on the peninsula, and often hosts a number of impressive migrant birds, especially in spring. The owl likely came into the city in search of a new territory for itself, and disappeared after a few days, hopefully finding a larger area.
OFF ROUTE
Thirty-eight bird strikes were reported from elsewhere in the state. Species included American Goldfinch, American Redstart, American Woodcock, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue Jay, Common Yellowthroat, Dark-eyed Junco, Hermit Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, Purple Finch, Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
As always, we received reports from across Maine, including Bethel, Boothbay Harbor, Brunswick, Cumberland, Falmouth, Farmington, Freeport, Georgetown, Hancock County, Kennebec County, Portland, Pownal, Sanford, Scarborough, South Portland, Waterville, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.
Perhaps the most remarkable off-route record we had this fall was our first-ever Northern Saw-whet Owl, which struck a window in Pownal. These little birds are the most numerous owl species in Maine, and migrate in good numbers, but are rarely encountered due to their small size and secretive nature.
