Handmade Cloth Birds Visualize Chicago’s Deadly Window-Collision Toll

The useful part

Jamie Kelter Davis Share Words by Ethan Freedman Reporter, Audubon magazine Photography by Jamie Kelter Davis Published Fall 2026 This article is a product of Audubon magazine. Get the Magazine Latest Issue On a Saturday afternoon in June, volunteers sat at tables in the Chicago Architecture Center quietly building birds out of scrap fabric. One cut out black strips for a Magnolia Warbler's breast, while another overlapped brown and black to fashion a House Sparrow.

How it works

• Through workshops like this, local artist Holly Greenberg is gathering a full set of replicas that she'll sew into a dazzling yet sobering tapestry: a 300-foot-long "carpet" that warns of the city's dangers...
• She's since led more than 80 free workshops at venues such as schools and street fairs.
• "Bird conservationists, of course, understand how dangerous Chicago is," says Judy Pollock, former president of the Chicago Bird Alliance, which helps promote the project.
• "I just don't know how much the average person understands about that." Greenberg teaches participants how to prevent collisions at home —where nearly half of bird strikes take place— by treating windows...
• Visit Birds Tell Us to Act on Climate page Birds Tell Us to Act on Climate Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions.

What to take from it

As birds pass through, they risk colliding with glass windows, which they often can't see. Along the way, Greenberg and her partners encourage people to step up to protect birdlife. "The longer it takes," she says, "the more people I get to talk to about fixing their windows." This story originally ran in the Fall 2026 issue as "Crafting Awareness." To receive our print magazine, become a member by making a donation today.

Example or evidence

• Millions concentrate on the shore to avoid flying over water, and buildings' bright lights can lure them into the city.
• Others have hosted another 100 sessions outside the Chicago area after signing up on Greenberg's website.
• Located along Lake Michigan, Chicago can be a deadly trap for migrants of the Mississippi Flyway.
• On October 5, 2023, volunteers found more than 2,000 dead birds across Chicago, including nearly 1,000 by the glassy McCormick Place convention center.

Details worth keeping

Holly Greenberg in her studio in Evanston, Illinois. Become a member to receive our quarterly print issue in the mail. A particularly deadly night inspired Greenberg's project.

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