Are Migratory Birds More Likely to Collide With North-Facing and South-Facing Windows?
Disciplines
Behavior and Ethology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Bird populations have declined dramatically since 1970 with an estimated population loss of 2.9 billion breeding adults. One of the top causes of direct anthropogenic mortality is collisions with buildings. Low- and high-rise buildings represent approximately 56% of window-collision mortalities. As urban environments expand, bird-building collisions are expected to increase. Therefore, the implementation of preventative strategies is important to curtail the further loss of bird population and diversity. Several deterrents of window collisions have proved effective. Windows can be made more visible to birds through the use of netting, screens, decals, and special glass with embedded UV-reflecting patterns. Because cost and aesthetic preferences may be barriers to implementation, it would be helpful to know if widows facing in certain directions are more likely to involve collisions. I used window collision data collected in and around Atlanta, Georgia to determine whether migrating birds are more likely to collide with windows that face north in the fall (when birds are flying south) or south in the spring (when birds are flying north). We will present data testing whether migratory bird species are more likely to collide with buildings than resident species, as well as whether north-facing or south-facing windows are more frequently associated with bird-window collisions. Results from this study will provide key information about where collision deterrents should be prioritized on building in future conservation efforts.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Sarah Guindre-Parker
Are Migratory Birds More Likely to Collide With North-Facing and South-Facing Windows?
Bird populations have declined dramatically since 1970 with an estimated population loss of 2.9 billion breeding adults. One of the top causes of direct anthropogenic mortality is collisions with buildings. Low- and high-rise buildings represent approximately 56% of window-collision mortalities. As urban environments expand, bird-building collisions are expected to increase. Therefore, the implementation of preventative strategies is important to curtail the further loss of bird population and diversity. Several deterrents of window collisions have proved effective. Windows can be made more visible to birds through the use of netting, screens, decals, and special glass with embedded UV-reflecting patterns. Because cost and aesthetic preferences may be barriers to implementation, it would be helpful to know if widows facing in certain directions are more likely to involve collisions. I used window collision data collected in and around Atlanta, Georgia to determine whether migrating birds are more likely to collide with windows that face north in the fall (when birds are flying south) or south in the spring (when birds are flying north). We will present data testing whether migratory bird species are more likely to collide with buildings than resident species, as well as whether north-facing or south-facing windows are more frequently associated with bird-window collisions. Results from this study will provide key information about where collision deterrents should be prioritized on building in future conservation efforts.