Flying Blind

More birds have been killed by man made structures than any oil spill in history. Each year millions of birds become disoriented by the light of office towers, houses and apartments. They confuse lit windows with the stars that are no longer visible in our densely lit cities. They become confused, disoriented and exhausted as they try to find their way towards the light source. Many collapse from exhaustion, others crash into panes of glass, and some attack their own reflection. Last year the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) collected 4738 dead and injured birds in Toronto. Many of these birds are on Environment Canada’s endangered list.

This project reverses the blinding effect that buildings have on birds by attracting people to this unassuming structure. As the viewer peers into the nest a motion sensor sets off a bright compact fluorescent light bulb, shocking the viewer.