Over 300 migratory birds flew into the window of the NASCAR Hall of Fame building in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday night. Roughly a third of the birds were killed and another third were critically injured and will need to be nursed back to health. The birds have been identified by Carolina Waterfowl Rescue as Chimney Swifts, which the organization says are critical to the region's eco system since they eat hundreds of mosquitos a day.
The incident has raised public concern from wildlife organizations like the National Audubon Society, who says that several varieties of birds are attracted to bright lights and as a result, millions of birds to crash into heavily lit buildings at night each year. It's estimated that North America's bird population has diminished by 3 billion over the last 50 years, so situations like this have serious implications.
A spokesperson from NASCAR has responded, "The NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza is a public space that is frequented well into the night, and evening events are a critical component of the NASCAR Hall's success," the spokesperson said. "Finding a balance between operations and safety is our goal. After learning more, we are willing to evaluate potential adjustments that we hope would mitigate future occurrences. Following the conclusion of a scheduled event at the Hall tonight, we will reduce lighting to a minimal level. Continued dialogue to address concerns regarding this matter is important to us."