Bird Mortality from Window Collisions

With an increasing number of buildings being built the chance of birds colliding with windows on these buildings also continues to grow. Migrant species tend to have a higher vulnerability to collisions resulting in a high number of collisions or death. They are vulnerable as a result of having to travel over long distances. I investigated the scope of avian mortality on campus through daily transects, outreach in the Union community, and personal communication. With this study I am interested in whether particular buildings pose a higher risk of collision, if student activity impacts mortality, and if migrants are more vulnerable. Collisions were noted daily along a modified transact from Yulman Theater to Schaffer Library on the northern part of campus daily for 62 days. Data for hits was recorded by powder down marks and feces left by birds when they impact windows. While there was not a significance seen between the presence of people and collisions the small sample size poses a challenge in determining if there is. From the study I recorded there were a total of 930 hits on windows and 24 dead birds. The three buildings with the most activity were: Wold Center, ISEC, and Schaffer Library. Human infrastructure is a growing concern as it is already shown to be the greatest threat to avian species worldwide, but with further development here at Union it's important to recognize our impact on the local avian population.