Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and New York Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-0535 protect nearly all wild birds in Buffalo; nest disturbance during breeding season can trigger DEC enforcement, and Buffalo lighting and window rules support Lake Erie flyway safety.
Buffalo sits on the Atlantic and Lake Erie migratory flyway. Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and New York Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-0535 prohibit take, possession, or nest destruction of native species without a permit. Active nests of robins, swallows, and chimney swifts must be left undisturbed until fledging. Buffalo participates in Lights Out programs urging downtown towers and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to dim non-essential exterior lighting during peak spring and fall migration. Window-collision retrofits for new municipal buildings are referenced in the Climate Action Plan. Wildlife rehabilitators must hold a DEC license under wildlife-rescue-permits rules.
Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act civil and criminal penalties, New York DEC fines under ECL Section 71-0921, and possible municipal enforcement of dark-sky lighting rules during migration.
Buffalo, NY
Anyone caring for injured wildlife in Buffalo must hold a New York DEC wildlife rehabilitator license under Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-0515; u...
Buffalo, NY
Buffalo Green Code includes outdoor lighting standards limiting glare and light trespass. Full cutoff fixtures required for most commercial installations to ...
See how Buffalo's bird protection rules stack up against other locations.
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