[Sust-mar] Nation-Wide Bird Collision Study

[Allison Dube]

Your participation is needed in a national study of bird window collisions.
A master's student from the University of Alberta is collecting data on
window strikes to identify the factors that affect collision risk
particularly at residential homes. The study is looking fr public input
from across Canada on bird strikes around your home. To get involved in the
Birds and Windows Project, please visit birdswindows.biology.ualberta.ca

A summary of the project is included below:

Birds face many threats when they come into contact with urban populations.
One of the leading causes of avian mortality in cities is window
collisions. In Canada it is estimated 25 million birds are killed each year
as a result of bird window collisions.

The University of Alberta Birds and Windows Project uses citizen science
and active participation to continue to identify the factors that affect
collision risk at residential homes.

In late September, Environment Canada released a report on the leading
causes of bird deaths, with collisions with houses or buildings tied for
second spot with power lines, collisions and electrocutions, behind
domestic and feral cats. Most studies on window collisions have focus on
tall skyscrapers but based on the sheer number of houses compared to tall
skyscrapers, houses represent 90 % of the mortality. More work is needed;
only four studies in the past have focused on bird window collision
mortality at houses.

To better understand what can be done to reduce bird window collisions at
your home, the University of Alberta has developed this project to actively
involve YOU in data collection. We are asking you to think about bird
window collisions you have observed in the past and would like you to
regularly search around your residence for evidence of bird window
collisions in the future.

This project is still in the beginning phase; it was just launched in
September and intend to keep it running for at least a full year.

To get involved in the Birds and Windows Project, visit:
birdswindows.biology.ualberta.ca.

<http://www.hopeforwildlife.net>