Toronto birds dying because of new transit line that ironically shares name with bird

Trigger warning: This article contains photos of injured animals and may be distressing to some readers

At an underpass where construction is wrapping up on the soon-to-open Finch West LRT, concerns are being raised over dead pigeons found trapped amid the site alterations. Pigeons appear to be getting caught between a concrete wall and a red metal plate — installed by Metrolinx, trying to get back to their roost site. 

The irony here? The new LRT, planned to open this year as the TTC's Line 6, is named for Finch Avenue, which, while originating from the moniker of a former hotel and its owner, also shares the name of the finch species of birds, of which multiple subspecies are found in Toronto.

The site in question is located along a westbound stretch of Finch where the LRT crosses under rail tracks just before Weston Road. Here, concerned Toronto resident Ann Martin first found evidence of the birds' tragic fate. 

The red metal plate installed by Metrolinx appears to be strangling pigeons getting back into their nests. Photo: Ann Martin

"I work in that area, so I've been going by there for the last 28 years, morning and night. And I saw these birds that are trapped and are dying," she said. "They're trying to go back in, but they can’t fit."

According to Martin, the red metal plate extends from under the bridge, leaving a small opening of approximately four to five inches at the top. The birds then allegedly try to make their way back inside their nesting spot through that gap, but cannot fit their bodies through, causing them to get strangled. 

The plate is used to mount wires as part of the overhead catenary system that will power light rail vehicles (LRVs) on the line.

Pigeon are getting strangled attempting to get back into their nest. Photo: Ann Martin

Martin, a long–time local animal rescuer, says she has sent photos of the scene to Metrolinx and has been in communication with them for six weeks to try to find a solution. 

She's also enlisted the help of the Toronto Wildlife Centre to write a letter with recommendations to the transportation agency. 

But thus far, she says Metrolinx has stated that they are further investigating the issue, with no progress having been made to prevent the birds from getting caught and killed. 

In a statement to blogTO, Metrolinx says it has taken the necessary measures to "protect wildlife," including bird species, through its work on the Finch West LRT. 

"Our LRT maintenance facility has a green roof that serves as a habitat for local bird species like Eastern Meadowlarks and Killdeer. As with all our projects, we also performed comprehensive studies in advance to ensure our construction preserved habitat for species at risk, including birds," Metrolinx said in an email. 

Metrolinx has maintained that they've conducted studies into the habitats that could be impacted by construction. Photo: Ann Martin 

Work on urban infrastructure commonly impacts local wildlife, according to Scott MacIvor, an associate professor in biological sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough. But in general, taking more time to observe animal patterns could prevent harm caused to them by city development. 

"We're all sharing space," said MacIvor. "And often with these kinds of outcomes, it's hard to be proactive in terms of knowing exactly what an animal is going to do. And sure, one could argue that having observed the kind of flight of these birds into a roost ahead of time could have prevented that."

MacIvor also suggests that the reaction from companies working on construction, like the Finch West LRT, should be proactive, rather than reactive, so that "companies do their due diligence to minimize or eliminate these kinds of human animal conflicts," he said. 

Pigeons are also prevalent in densely populated regions, and MacIvor says it's in everyone's best interest to "respect their presence in cities." 

Construction for the Finch West LRT was deemed complete in 2024. However, approximately nine months after this announcement, an opening date for the line has not yet been revealed.