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Protecting Birds

These are three of the birds most affected by glass collisions. FROM LEFT: LARRY KELLER, LITITZ, PA—GETTY IMAGES; TAY FIDA—GETTY IMAGES; BRIAN E. KUSHNER—GETTY IMAGES

Bird-friendly building design is required in only a few places in the United States. One is San Francisco. That’s a city in California. Another is the state of Minnesota. A new building law also went into effect in New York City. That was in January.

Mike Quigley is a U.S. congressman. He represents Illinois. Quigley is trying to pass a national law. It would require U.S. government buildings to be bird-friendly. “Eventually, I’d like to think that no one would build a building anywhere without doing this,” he told TIME for Kids.

“We have to do our part to ensure that our society has the smallest impact on the plants and animals that live with us,” Quigley says. “One way to do that is bird-safe buildings.”

Connie Sanchez agrees. She works for the National Audubon Society. “Talk to your lawmakers about this issue,” she says. “Get them to understand how important it is.”