Real Bird Harm From Central Park Drone Fake Bird Swarm: Audubon

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Fake birds set to take flight in Central Park could cause real harm to thousands of non-robotic birds currently embarking on their fall migration, says top bird groups and a West Side politician, expressing concern Friday.

"This is a VERY BAD IDEA," NYC Audubon posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

"#lightpollution during peak #birdmigration, which BTW is happening right now, poses a hazard for the millions of birds traveling over NYC on their migrations. COULD WE MOVE THIS to after fall migration?" the post continued.

The longtime bird-centric organization explained why Saturday's planned light show — a Dutch performance called "Franchise Freedom" and inspired by the massive, undulating flocks of starlings known as murmurations — could be a problem for real birds who are currently migrating through the Big Apple.

Upper West Side Council Member and former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer also joined the flock of outcry, saying that the drone show on Saturday should be cancelled.

"I am not opposed [to] drones. But not in [Central Park] at height of bird migration," Brewer wrote.

@galeabrewer I agree with @NYCAudubon that drones in Central Pk on Sat nite should be cancelled; it is peak migration season & birds could be killed I have conveyed my opposition 2 Parks Dept & 2 Mayor’s office. I am not opposed 2 drones. But not in CP at height of bird migration
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) October 20, 2023

Light pollution — especially artificial light at night — can attract and disorient birds, many of which migrate in the early hours just after sunset.

NYC Audubon estimates that nearly a quarter million birds are killed each year as a result and have long called for legislation to force commercial buildings to reduce their lighting at night, which a proposed City Council bill would attempt to do.

Most birds migrant at night, and they “can be drawn in from hundreds of miles away to urban areas like New York City, which are just aglow with artificial light,” Jessica Wilson, executive director of NYC Audubon, told Gothamist in May.

The Wild Bird Fund — the city's only wildlife rehabilitation and education center which takes in about 1,2000 window-injured birds each year — noted the irony that "the makers of this bird-centric show and everyone involved in approving this do not seem to understand (or care) about bird migration and the importance of @CentralParkNYC."

"Everything about this is puzzling and infuriating," wrote NYC Audubon, adding that they had reached out to city hall and the Parks Department, saying that they hoped to be at least consulted in the future "on the timing a siting of NYC light shows like these."

Parks Department spokesperson Kelsey Jean-Baptiste told Patch that "our top priority is stewardship of the city's green spaces and the diverse plant and animal life these natural oases support."

Jean-Baptiste added that while the respected "New Yorker's concerns," the show's organizers have "been in close contact" with Parks, "and they are complying with the new city guidelines governing the use of drones."

Neither Parks nor city hall confirmed that they had been in touch with or contacted by NYC Audubon, but Parks did note that they intend to work with partners and wildlife experts as the new drone guidelines are further implemented.

According to BirdCast, a project combining ornithologists at The Cornell Lab, Colorado State University and UMass Amherst, this weekend should be a light one for feathery departures to warmer pastures, with only up to 6,000 birds predicted to pass through the city Saturday night.

The website also shows that species most likely to be in the middle of their nocturnal migration include the Golden-Crowned Kinglet, the Cape May Warbler, the Palm Warbler, the Dark-eyed Junco and the Blackpoll Warbler.

In total, BirdCast estimates that over 6.4 million birds have passed through the region so far this fall migration season.