Disciplines
Behavior and Ethology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Every year, over 500 million birds collide fatally with man-made structures, with window collisions playing a significant role in causing these deaths. Our research analyzes how a species’ diet can affect their rates of collision with windows. To explore this question, we analyzed the most common food sources of 87 species of birds from window collision data in metro Atlanta. Our results showed that 77% of species from window collisions (or 67 species) were primarily insectivorous. This reliance on insects as a food source could lead to a lifestyle that tends to bring these bird species in closer proximity to windows more frequently. Consequently, these birds may become more likely to collide with a window while foraging or hunting for food. From an environmental perspective, this research draws close attention to the need to consider diet when analyzing bird-window collisions and preventative measures. In addition, it provides an additional benchmark for assessing collisions, the bird’s diet, that can help target species that are most at risk and would require the most assistance.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Sarah Guindre-Parker
Included in
Effect of Diet on Window Collision Rate among Bird Species
Every year, over 500 million birds collide fatally with man-made structures, with window collisions playing a significant role in causing these deaths. Our research analyzes how a species’ diet can affect their rates of collision with windows. To explore this question, we analyzed the most common food sources of 87 species of birds from window collision data in metro Atlanta. Our results showed that 77% of species from window collisions (or 67 species) were primarily insectivorous. This reliance on insects as a food source could lead to a lifestyle that tends to bring these bird species in closer proximity to windows more frequently. Consequently, these birds may become more likely to collide with a window while foraging or hunting for food. From an environmental perspective, this research draws close attention to the need to consider diet when analyzing bird-window collisions and preventative measures. In addition, it provides an additional benchmark for assessing collisions, the bird’s diet, that can help target species that are most at risk and would require the most assistance.