Philly's Bird Safe Program Gets Major Funding Boost

Bird Safe Philly's budget increases tenfold with $496,100 grant to reduce bird collisions with buildings.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Bird Safe Philly, a volunteer-led organization working to make Philadelphia safer for birds by reducing window collisions, has received a major funding boost. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded the group a three-year, $496,100 grant, which will increase its annual budget roughly tenfold. The grant will allow Bird Safe Philly to expand its efforts to work with building owners to make their windows more visible to birds and coordinate volunteers to monitor collision hotspots.

Why it matters

Bird collisions with buildings are a major threat to avian populations, with an estimated 1 billion birds killed each year in the U.S. alone. Philadelphia has been a particular hotspot for these incidents, with a freakish night in 2020 resulting in an estimated 1,500 bird deaths. The increased funding will enable Bird Safe Philly to significantly scale up its work to address this issue and make the city safer for migratory birds.

The details

Since forming in 2020, Bird Safe Philly has worked with eight property owners to retrofit their windows, including high-profile locations like the Sister Cities Café on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The group also coordinates the Lights Out Philly program to shut off building lights overnight during migration seasons, and mobilizes volunteers to monitor collision hotspots downtown. The new grant funding will allow the organization to greatly expand these efforts across the city.

  • Bird Safe Philly formed in 2020 after a night in which an estimated 1,500 birds were killed by colliding with buildings.
  • The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded the $496,100 grant to Bird Safe Philly in February 2026.

The players

Bird Safe Philly

A volunteer-led organization working to make Philadelphia safer for birds by reducing window collisions.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

A private philanthropy that operates in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and awarded the $496,100 grant to Bird Safe Philly.

Leigh Altadonna

A retired public school administrator who now coordinates Bird Safe Philly.

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What they’re saying

“Birds do not see glass. They don't recognize that it's a solid surface. They might be able to see right through to the other side and think they're flying into a tree.”

— Leigh Altadonna, Coordinator, Bird Safe Philly (WHYY)

What’s next

The increased funding will allow Bird Safe Philly to significantly expand its efforts to work with building owners on window retrofits and coordinate volunteers to monitor collision hotspots across Philadelphia.

The takeaway

This major grant to Bird Safe Philly demonstrates a growing recognition of the threat that building collisions pose to bird populations and a commitment to addressing this issue in Philadelphia. The funding will enable the organization to scale up its innovative, community-based approach to making the city safer for migratory birds.