Thousands of dead birds will form macabre display in Ontario city this weekend

A powerful public art exhibit is returning to the Ontario city of Mississauga this weekend, using visual displays to highlight an environmental issue many may consider urgent.

Organized by the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada, the annual bird layout will feature thousands of birds killed in collisions with buildings across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This year, the birds will be arranged in the shape of a continent, a visual symbol of how widespread this problem is.

The timing of the event is also significant. Spring marks the peak of bird migration, but also a time when bird-building collisions are most common.

To make the annual bird layout possible, FLAP volunteers from across the GTA have undertaken the sombre task of collecting dead birds throughout the region. The collection includes more than 100 species, some already considered at risk.

So, what's the aim of the art exhibit?

To make the scale of these deaths visible in a way that statistics simply cannot. Advocates are also raising concerns about provincial legislation that could limit municipalities' ability to enforce bird-friendly building standards, measures that have been in place in cities like Toronto for years.

"Bill 98 is now before the legislature, and Bill 17 before it, both seeking to remove the authority of municipalities in Ontario to enforce green building standards, including for bird-safe design," Dr. Brendon Samuels, FLAP Canada's BirdSafe Buildings Coordinator, said in a press release.

The release states that a number of municipalities have already incorporated bird-safe design into their local policies since the first Toronto Green Standard implementation in 2009. It also notes strong public support for bird-friendly buildings, and simple measures, such as patterned glass, can help birds detect windows and avoid collisions — an approach already used in many new developments.

The event will take place on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with on-site speakers available to raise awareness and answer questions from the public.

It will be held at Feather Friendly Inc., located at 2207 Dunwin Dr. in Mississauga, Ont.