Leigh St bird problem turns fatal in Rundle Mall
Birds that previously annoyed traders on Leigh Street have flocked to Rundle Mall to roost but are flying into shopfronts.
This story contains graphic images and video of birds that are injured or dead.
Tree martins are dying and injuring themselves in Rundle Mall as they attempt to roost in Chinese Elm trees outside Adelaide’s Apple Store.
The birds roosted in the callery pear trees on Leigh Street but turned to the mall after the Adelaide City Council netted the Leigh Street trees last year.
The netting program cost the council about $15,000 and came after months of exploring options to control the bird population, which was causing public health concerns and a nuisance to traders.
The birds flock to the trees at sunset, when the reflection of the trees fill the windows of Apple and surrounding stores in the centre of the mall. This picture: Helen Karakulak/InDaily
The Adelaide City Council said they are aware of “increasing strikes against windows within Rundle Mall by tree martins”.
“To our knowledge, only a small number of traders have been directly affected by the tree martins roosting within the shopping precinct,” a council spokesperson said.
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“The welfare of the tree martins is our highest priority and we thank animal rescue volunteers for their assistance with the retrieval of injured birds.
“Measures which have been introduced, such as increased lighting, already appear to be helping to reduce the incidence of bird strikes.”
New lighting would prevent the reflection of the Chinese elm trees the birds are attempting to roost in. It is understood that the birds are trying to fly into the reflection, causing them to become injured or die.
This picture of dead birds was posted to r/Adelaide, which claimed the birds pictured died in 20 minutes on one night. The Reddit post claims 29 birds were picked up in one night, with survivors receiving vet treatment from wildlife carers.
Images and video of bird fatalities were shared on social media last week, with commentators concerned about the birds’ welfare and a lack of action from retailers.
“A bad corporate look is animal corpses on the sidewalk,” said a post on Wild Animals Australia’s Facebook page.
The post included a video that had 22,000 views at the time of writing.
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The Wild Animals Australia group called for the Apple store to apply window treatment or dim lighting at high-risk times and for the council to remove the netting on Leigh Street and stop netting trees the birds have access to.
The Adelaide Economic Development Agency, a subsidiary of the council, is responsible for managing and marketing the mall and will consider further expert advice as to what else can be done “to protect the safety and welfare of the birds and maintain the amenity of the trading environment.”
The council spokesperson said City of Adelaide staff and government environmental agencies, such as Green Adelaide and the Department for Environment and Water, are closely monitoring the situation.
“We will continue to work with retailers and external experts to find solutions to ensure the birds are able to roost safely within the CBD with the minimum amount of risk,” they said.
“Our operations staff are on site regularly, including cleansing teams which have been dealing with large amounts of faeces being deposited by the birds.”
The Leigh Street trees used to shelter the largest tree martin bird roost in Australia, with about 10,000 of them living in the laneway’s trees. This picture: Green Adelaide
A Green Adelaide spokesperson said they are “deeply saddened by the resulting injuries and fatalities for the species”.
“We consider the Adelaide tree martin roost a very significant aggregation and shining case for how our city can play an important role in wildlife conservation,” they said.
“We are actively engaged in discussions with the City of Adelaide to improve the welfare outcomes for these birds.”
Leigh Street trees were netted last August to deter flocks of tree martins. This picture: Helen Karakulak/InDaily
The council netted the Leigh Street callery pear trees in August, ahead of the birds’ peak migration season, which is between January and May.
The nets were a solution to regular complaints from traders and health and safety concerns, as bird droppings filled the street and multiple venues’ outdoor dining areas.
At the time, InDaily asked Green Adelaide where the birds would be redirected and were told it was anticipated the birds will relocate, potentially to trees on nearby Bank Street or North Terrace.
