‘This is actually breaking my heart’: Rescuers share heart-wrenching details of a wildlife tragedy
- Replies 5
A seemingly innocent scene outside a popular Apple store has turned into a nightly spectacle of shocking chaos.
Migratory birds, once admired for their seasonal arrival, are now at the centre of an unexpected crisis.
As the birds flock to new roosting spots, the consequences of their change in habitat have left the city reeling.
A peaceful evening in Adelaide's bustling Rundle Mall was abruptly shattered as flocks of migratory tree martins collided with the windows of a local Apple store.
The once-cherished birds, known for their seasonal flights, have become victims of a bizarre crisis that has left rescuers scrambling.
For over a decade, around 10,000 tree martins had roosted along Leigh Street, a well-loved cafe strip in the city.
However, after the Adelaide City Council netted the trees in an effort to deal with bird droppings, the martins were forced to seek new roosting spots, turning Rundle Mall into their new home.
In their attempts to land quickly and escape predators, such as peregrine falcons, the birds have faced a deadly obstacle: the bright, reflective windows of the Apple store.
Local rescuer Rachel, who has been on the frontlines, said: ‘It’s a lot of birds. They come down fast and don’t see the windows. I feel traumatised, disgusted and really upset.’
As the birds swooped in, shoppers watched in horror as many of them failed to navigate the glass, leading to a heart-wrenching scene.
A passerby, Alyia, recounted the shock of witnessing the birds strike the glass: ‘People were there filming in amazement at the sheer amount of birds, but they quickly dispersed after the birds started hitting the windows. They stopped filming and walked off because it was horrific.’
Alyia had to step in when a shopper unknowingly nearly stepped on an injured bird: ‘I saw two birds nearly stepped on. I screamed at one guy to stop him, because he didn’t realise what he was about to do. And he looked back in absolute shock.’
Rescuers were left to tend to the fallen martins, with some needing immediate euthanasia, while others were taken into care.
Footage from 9 March captured the aftermath, as shoppers appeared stunned by the carnage unfolding before them.
‘This is as horrible as I thought it would be,’ one rescuer said.
‘This is actually breaking my heart,’ another added.
While some birds survived the strikes and flew away, many others were not so fortunate. Rachel shared: ‘Some were hitting the windows and falling onto roofs and we couldn’t get to them, others were able to fly off again.’
Despite efforts from the community, including Rachel’s pleas, Apple had yet to respond to the situation.
Apple had taken steps to protect birds in its US stores by dimming storefront lights, but no such measures had been implemented in Adelaide.
A spokesperson for the City of Adelaide commented that the situation was under review and discussions had been ongoing with retailers about potential mitigation efforts.
‘The City of Adelaide became aware of increasing bird strikes against windows within Rundle Mall in the past week. We have been discussing mitigation measures with retailers, including trialling new lighting,’ the statement read.
Bird experts, including Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia, expressed their concern.
‘It’s so rare to have such good numbers of a native species using a dense urban setting as a roosting site. It’s very unusual,’ he said.
Glass strikes are a common issue for migratory birds, especially in large urban areas like Chicago and New York City, where tall buildings disrupt migratory pathways.
‘They don’t see the windows as a solid object, they just see the sky, so they continue to fly,’ Dooley explained.
In addition to the reflections from the glass, brightly lit storefronts further confuse the birds, preventing them from understanding their position relative to the moon.
‘The more buildings are lit up, the more likely birds are to blunder into them,’ Dooley added.
Green Adelaide, an urban sustainability group, expressed their sadness over the situation.
‘We are deeply saddened by the resulting injuries and fatalities for the species. We consider Adelaide’s tree martins a shining case for how our city can be wild,’ said a spokesperson.
The group has been in discussions with the City of Adelaide to find ways to improve the welfare of the affected birds.
In a previous story, we highlighted the growing concerns surrounding wildlife in urban areas.
Just like the migratory birds facing challenges, other animals have also been caught in troubling situations.
To learn more about another distressing wildlife crisis, be sure to read the full story here.
With such a dramatic shift in the birds' behaviour, what do you think can be done to help them adapt to urban spaces? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Migratory birds, once admired for their seasonal arrival, are now at the centre of an unexpected crisis.
As the birds flock to new roosting spots, the consequences of their change in habitat have left the city reeling.
A peaceful evening in Adelaide's bustling Rundle Mall was abruptly shattered as flocks of migratory tree martins collided with the windows of a local Apple store.
The once-cherished birds, known for their seasonal flights, have become victims of a bizarre crisis that has left rescuers scrambling.
For over a decade, around 10,000 tree martins had roosted along Leigh Street, a well-loved cafe strip in the city.
Migratory birds' deadly collision with store windows shocks community. Image source: SA Native Animal Rescue
However, after the Adelaide City Council netted the trees in an effort to deal with bird droppings, the martins were forced to seek new roosting spots, turning Rundle Mall into their new home.
In their attempts to land quickly and escape predators, such as peregrine falcons, the birds have faced a deadly obstacle: the bright, reflective windows of the Apple store.
Local rescuer Rachel, who has been on the frontlines, said: ‘It’s a lot of birds. They come down fast and don’t see the windows. I feel traumatised, disgusted and really upset.’
As the birds swooped in, shoppers watched in horror as many of them failed to navigate the glass, leading to a heart-wrenching scene.
A passerby, Alyia, recounted the shock of witnessing the birds strike the glass: ‘People were there filming in amazement at the sheer amount of birds, but they quickly dispersed after the birds started hitting the windows. They stopped filming and walked off because it was horrific.’
Alyia had to step in when a shopper unknowingly nearly stepped on an injured bird: ‘I saw two birds nearly stepped on. I screamed at one guy to stop him, because he didn’t realise what he was about to do. And he looked back in absolute shock.’
Rescuers were left to tend to the fallen martins, with some needing immediate euthanasia, while others were taken into care.
Footage from 9 March captured the aftermath, as shoppers appeared stunned by the carnage unfolding before them.
‘This is as horrible as I thought it would be,’ one rescuer said.
‘This is actually breaking my heart,’ another added.
While some birds survived the strikes and flew away, many others were not so fortunate. Rachel shared: ‘Some were hitting the windows and falling onto roofs and we couldn’t get to them, others were able to fly off again.’
Despite efforts from the community, including Rachel’s pleas, Apple had yet to respond to the situation.
Apple had taken steps to protect birds in its US stores by dimming storefront lights, but no such measures had been implemented in Adelaide.
A spokesperson for the City of Adelaide commented that the situation was under review and discussions had been ongoing with retailers about potential mitigation efforts.
‘The City of Adelaide became aware of increasing bird strikes against windows within Rundle Mall in the past week. We have been discussing mitigation measures with retailers, including trialling new lighting,’ the statement read.
Bird experts, including Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia, expressed their concern.
‘It’s so rare to have such good numbers of a native species using a dense urban setting as a roosting site. It’s very unusual,’ he said.
Glass strikes are a common issue for migratory birds, especially in large urban areas like Chicago and New York City, where tall buildings disrupt migratory pathways.
‘They don’t see the windows as a solid object, they just see the sky, so they continue to fly,’ Dooley explained.
In addition to the reflections from the glass, brightly lit storefronts further confuse the birds, preventing them from understanding their position relative to the moon.
‘The more buildings are lit up, the more likely birds are to blunder into them,’ Dooley added.
Green Adelaide, an urban sustainability group, expressed their sadness over the situation.
‘We are deeply saddened by the resulting injuries and fatalities for the species. We consider Adelaide’s tree martins a shining case for how our city can be wild,’ said a spokesperson.
The group has been in discussions with the City of Adelaide to find ways to improve the welfare of the affected birds.
In a previous story, we highlighted the growing concerns surrounding wildlife in urban areas.
Just like the migratory birds facing challenges, other animals have also been caught in troubling situations.
To learn more about another distressing wildlife crisis, be sure to read the full story here.
With such a dramatic shift in the birds' behaviour, what do you think can be done to help them adapt to urban spaces? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
.png){kind=icon}
