Table of Contents
Last week, an unusually large number of birds died in Chicago after flying into buildings.
Experts say that a large migration, bad weather, and not enough “bird-friendly” building features, are some reasons for the deaths.
In total, about 960 dead birds were found near the McCormick Place Lakeside Center, the largest convention center in North America. The birds were collected by scientists and volunteers from the nearby Field Museum, which monitors McCormick Place for dead or injured birds.
One of the museum’s ecologists, Douglas Stotz, said that “in one night we had a year’s worth of death.”
Mr. Stotz also said that between 1,000 and 2,000 birds die after striking the McCormick Place each year.
McCormick Place posted on Instagram that the safety of birds is important to them and what happened on October 5 was very sad. Normally, McCormick Place turns the building lights off at night, but that night there was a special event. Bright lights can confuse birds.
Birdcast, a project by three US universities, estimates that almost 1.5 million birds were flying in the Chicago area on the night of October 5.
Around the same time, a storm passed over the city, so many of the birds flew closer to the ground where there is more danger from lights and building windows.
A 2019 study from Cornell University estimated that about 600 million birds die from flying into buildings in the US each year. Chicago, Houston, and Dallas are the most dangerous cities.
Vocabulary
- Unusually – different from what is normal or expected; Something that doesn’t happen often
- Fly into – to move quickly through the air and hit something; to be flying and then crash into something
- Expert – a person with great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession
- Migration – the movement of birds or other animals from one place to another, especially in search of food or warmer weather; When animals travel from one place to another
- Feature – a special or important point; attribute; quality; component; part;
- Convention center – A big place where people, businesses or organizations have meetings and events;
- Collect – bring together; gather; take in
- Scientist – a person who studies science or the natural world; researcher
- Volunteer – A person who chooses to help others or do something without being forced to; a person who does something even though nobody tells them to do it
- Monitor – Observe and check over a period of time; to watch and look for changes; track
- Injured – hurt; wounded; harmed; to have damage to your body
- Ecologist – a scientist who studies the relationship between living things and their environment
- A year’s worth – As much as you’d usually have in a year; the usual amount of something in a year
- Strike – to hit something hard
- Post – to write or publish something on the internet; to put a message on social media
- Event – an activity that is planned for a special purpose and usually involves a lot of people, for example, a meeting, party, trade show, or conference
- Bright – giving off a lot of light (the sun is very bright)
- Confuse – to make someone feel unsure or unable to understand something; to mix up someone’s mind or ideas, or to make something difficult to understand
- Estimate – guess; approximate; judge; suppose
- Million – 1,000,000 – one-million
- Area – a particular part of a place, piece of land, or country; A place or part of a place
- Danger – something that is not safe and might cause harm or injury
- Study – the activity of examining/studying something in detail to discover new information; research; investigation
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever seen birds flying into windows or buildings? What happened, and how did it make you feel?
- What do you think are some of the challenges of making buildings more bird-friendly?
- Do you believe it’s important for buildings to have “bird-friendly” features to protect birds? Why or why not?
- How do you think the people who found the dead birds near McCormick Place felt?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
Last week, _____ unusually large number of birds died in Chicago after _____ into buildings.
Experts _____ that a large migration, bad weather, and not _____ “bird-friendly” building features, are some reasons for the _____.
In total, about 960 dead birds_____ found near the McCormick Place Lakeside Center, _____ largest convention center in North America. The _____ were collected by scientists and volunteers from the nearby Field Museum, which _____ McCormick Place for dead or injured _____.
One of the museum’s ecologists, _____ Stotz, said that “in one night we had a year’s worth of _____.”
Mr. Stotz also said that _____ 1,000 and 2,000 birds die after striking the McCormick Place _____ year.
McCormick Place _____ on Instagram that the safety of birds is important to them and what _____ on October 5 was very sad. Normally, McCormick Place turns the building _____ off at night, but that night there was a special event. Bright lights can _____ birds.
Birdcast, a project by three US _____, estimates that almost 1.5 million birds were flying in the Chicago _____ on the night of October 5.
_____ the same time, a storm passed over the city, so many of the birds _____ closer to the ground where there is more _____ from lights and building windows.
A 2019 study from Cornell University _____ that about 600 million birds die from flying into buildings in the _____ each year. Chicago, Houston, and Dallas are the most _____ cities.
