Jersey City, New Jersey, is located along the Atlantic Flyway, one of the busiest corridors for migratory birds. The city is taking action to make the skies safer for the millions of birds that migrate through the region every spring and fall with the recent passage of Jersey City’s Bird-Safe Ordinance 26-014. The ordinance was passed following a unanimous vote by the Jersey City Council, marking a win for birds and the effort to reduce window collisions.
The ordinance was championed by Jersey City Birds, Feminist Bird Club Jersey City, and local conservation groups, and supported by American Bird Conservancy (ABC). ABC worked closely with Jersey City’s Planning Department to craft the legislation, and the final version contains many of the best practices recommended by ABC, which has been a leader in addressing the problem of window collisions for decades.
“From our group’s early days beginning in 2020, it was clear that people in Jersey City really love their local wildlife, and that there were opportunities here to support birds and address some of the challenges they face,” said Lorraine Freeney of Jersey City Birds. “We started by installing Tree Swallow nest boxes in Lincoln Park West, and later became more involved in advocacy.”
After learning that Newark had adopted bird-friendly design standards in November 2023, the groups later reached out to Councilman James Solomon’s office to suggest a similar ordinance be adopted in Jersey City. With the help of dozens of dedicated volunteers who had been collecting data for several years about locations with high rates of bird-window collisions in Jersey City, they were able to advise where to focus retrofitting efforts.
The new Jersey City ordinance amends existing regulations and applies to new buildings, renovations, and additions that require site plan approval, with bird-friendly materials required on facades from the ground level up to 85 feet.
Architects can choose from a variety of materials and design strategies to meet the requirements of the ordinance, including reducing hazardous features and using exterior screens, solar shading systems, or bird-friendly glass on areas that pose a threat to birds. Many options that comply with the ordinance’s requirements are cost-neutral, including using exterior insect screens over glass. Making new and existing buildings safer for birds can be inexpensive, especially when bird-friendly design is considered at the start of a project.
Window collisions are one of the largest sources of bird mortality, with more than 1 billion birds dying following glass collisions in the United States annually. Birds don’t perceive glass the way humans do. Instead of seeing a solid surface, birds see a clear flightpath to the habitat reflected in or visible through a window. Bird deaths from window collisions are preventable through the use of bird-friendly design principles like those outlined in Jersey City’s ordinance.
ABC’s Legislative Toolkit includes a model ordinance and top-rated resources for learning how bird-friendly design principles have been implemented in communities across the United States. Anyone who has windows can help save birds by making their home windows bird-friendly. Learn how by visiting ABC’s home-friendly solutions.
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