Protect Innocent Birds From Starving To Death Behind Urban Netting

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New York’s birds are being trapped, starved, and left to die in cruel netting — take action before more lives are lost.

Protect Innocent Birds From Starving To Death Behind Urban Netting

In New York City, pigeons and other birds are being trapped, starved, and left to die in anti-bird netting. This netting, meant to control droppings and deter nesting, has instead turned into a cruel and dangerous hazard. At some properties, improperly installed mesh has created cages where birds struggle in vain, their feathers caught and their young separated from food and water1.

Scenes of Suffering

On the Upper East Side, residents have witnessed fledglings crying from behind netting, adult pigeons dehydrated and disoriented, and lifeless bodies suspended above sidewalks. Volunteers have stepped in with ladders to cut birds free, while wildlife rehabilitators at the Wild Bird Fund care for the injured. But not every bird has been saved. Some are found too late, their deaths slow and agonizing2.

Similar tragedies have occurred elsewhere in the city. At the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue subway station, neglected nets left birds fatally trapped, their desperate attempts to escape ending in exhaustion and death. Advocates warn that these scenes are far too common when deterrent nets are installed without oversight or maintenance3.

Health Concerns Do Not Excuse Cruelty

Building managers often defend netting as necessary to address droppings. But the cure is worse than the problem. Residents have described the sight of dead pigeons tangled in mesh as both traumatic and unsanitary. Humane solutions exist — from modifying ledges to using safe exclusion methods — but development companies have failed to act on them2.

A Larger Urban Threat

Netting is not the only urban killer of birds. Reflective glass towers in New York City cause up to 230,000 bird deaths every year. When the Javits Center replaced reflective panels with patterned glass, collisions dropped by 90 percent, proving that safe solutions are possible4. But without reforms, both glass and netting will continue to claim countless lives.

New Yorkers Are Fighting Back

Grassroots volunteers are now rescuing injured birds across the city, ferrying them to the Wild Bird Fund. These community efforts reveal a truth: when large developers neglect humane responsibility, ordinary New Yorkers bear the burden of compassion. Developers must not ignore this suffering any longer5.

Take Action Now

Improperly installed netting is killing New York City’s birds. Developers have the power — and the obligation — to remove these hazards and adopt humane alternatives. Every day of delay means more preventable deaths. Add your name to call for immediate action and end this cruelty.

More on this issue:

  1. Pedro Rivera, ABC7 New York (14 Feb 2024), "Animal advocates sound alarm after pigeons found trapped in Manhattan building's anti-bird netting."
  2. Peter Senzamici, Patch (12 Feb 2024), "Upper East Side Building Is A Bird Death Trap, Says Worried Neighbors."
  3. PETA (31 Jan 2025), "Birds Reportedly Dying in Bird-Deterrent Netting at New York City Subway Station."
  4. M.L. Nestel, Newsweek (2019), "Death From Above: Lawmaker Envisions Bird-Safe Buildings in New York City."
  5. Alison Zavos, Feature Shoot (19 Aug 2025), "The Volunteers Who Rescue New York City’s Injured Birds."

The Petition

To the President and Building Manager of the Garfield Development Authority,

Birds are a vital part of New York City’s ecosystem, bringing life and balance to our urban landscape. Yet right now, pigeons and other birds are suffering and dying in plain sight because of improperly installed anti-bird netting placed by the Garfield Development Authority. These nets, meant to deter nesting, have instead become cages where birds are trapped, starve, and perish. Such cruelty has no place in a city that prides itself on compassion and humane treatment of all living beings.

Reports from residents, rescuers, and wildlife advocates show clear evidence of birds caught in this netting — wings tangled, fledglings crying for food, and lifeless bodies left hanging above sidewalks. Volunteers have risked their own safety climbing ladders to free survivors, while organizations like the Wild Bird Fund are left to care for the injured. This is not an isolated incident, but a recurring failure caused by neglect and poor installation.

Garfield Development must take swift responsibility. Proper bird deterrents exist that keep buildings clean without inflicting suffering. Options such as ledge modifications, safe exclusion methods, and cooperation with wildlife specialists are effective and humane. Leaving hazardous netting in place not only kills innocent animals but also creates unsanitary and traumatic conditions for the very communities Garfield Development serves.

Birds deserve compassion and respect. Pigeons, sparrows, and migratory songbirds are not pests — they are living creatures who contribute to our shared environment. Treating them with cruelty erodes the values of empathy and stewardship that make cities healthier places for both humans and wildlife.

We, the undersigned, call on Garfield Development to act immediately:

  • Remove all improperly installed anti-bird netting from its properties.
  • Consult with wildlife experts to implement humane, effective alternatives.
  • Publicly commit to policies that prevent similar suffering in the future.

By choosing compassion over carelessness, Garfield Development has an opportunity to lead by example. Humane solutions are not only possible but necessary to build a city where animals and people coexist safely. Taking action now will prevent further needless suffering, restore community trust, and create a more ethical and livable future for all.

Sincerely,

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