Is a massive, public art sculpture killing birds in Sacramento?
SACRAMENTO — Dozens of dead birds are being discovered at a Sacramento light rail station, and an animal rescue group says the deaths are caused by a piece of public art.
A massive steel archway is being blamed for killing birds.
"Any bird that falls into a sculpture like that is pretty much going to die," said Dina Fiala with the Wildlife Care Association.
Fiala said gaps in the hollow metal arch allow birds to get inside, where they become trapped.
"They either fall in or they dive in and there's absolutely no way they can get back up," she explained.
The sculpture is located at the Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) light rail station along Franklin Boulevard. The 20-foot tall arch is named Esperanza and was created by Petaluma-based sculptor David Best.
Jessica Gonzalez with SacRT said Esperanza has been at the station since 2015. She said the problem wasn't spotted until last September when a great horned owl was found struggling inside and fire crews were called to help save it. The owl later had to be euthanized due to extensive injuries.
Fiala said that about 30 dead birds have now been found, and safety changes need to be made.
"It would be really easy to modify it," she said. "All it needs is something over the top so birds can't get in or a hole at the bottom where they could get out, or preferably both."
So why isn't SacRT making the sculpture safer for birds?
"Because it is public art, we are not allowed to touch it, make adjustments to it in any way," Gonzalez said. "We do need the artist to make those changes."
Gonzalez added that SacRt is working on a contract to bring Best back to the city to make the adjustments.
The artist intended to build a temple-like sculpture that evokes the feelings of a sacred and safe place. Now, it's becoming a tomb for wayward wildlife.
"It's killing animals, so something should be done," Fiala said. "If it doesn't get fixed, then we're just going to have more and more birds get down there."
There were more dead birds inside the arch when we checked Tuesday night. SacRT said the artist is scheduled to come out and make changes in February