West Volusia Audubon Society and Stetson University Partner to Protect Birds

Across the country and throughout the hemisphere, bird migration is surging as we march further into the fall season. Millions of birds fly from their northern breeding grounds to winter in warmer climates in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and Central and South America. As they make their long journeys, they face a wide range of hazards, from intense storms to power lines to, unfortunately, windows. West Volusia Audubon Society has teamed up with Stetson University to protect birds flying through this beautiful Central Florida campus.

The Problem

Window collisions are one of the leading direct human causes of bird mortality. A 2014 study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Smithsonian Institution estimated that between 365 million to 1 billion birds are killed annually by building collisions in the U.S.

 During daylight hours, birds collide with reflective surfaces when they stop to feed or rest, when avoiding a predator or flying from tree to tree. Shiny glass exteriors, internal plants near windows, glass corners, and greenery close to buildings can all be deadly as birds are unable to distinguish reflection from open flyway. For every collision victim found, three more typically go unseen, flying out of sight before falling or being carried away by predators.

How Can We Help Them?

People “see” glass because we understand buildings. Birds need strong clues on or around glass to warn them that it’s there, including adding patterns on the glass, external screens, or closing curtains.

West Volusia Audubon Society and Stetson University Partner to Protect Birds

The Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center is a great place to look for birds. It’s surrounded by native plants and has large, beautiful views of nearby Lake Beresford. Unfortunately, the building’s large windows also posed a hazard for birds.

West Volusia Audubon Society worked with Stetson’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience to fund and install bird-safe markers for the windows. In a simple dot configuration, the markers are close enough together to alert birds to the presence of windows while offering a pleasing pattern for the users of the building.

Not only does the patterned glass prevent bird-strikes in the Lakeview Room – previously a high-risk area – they also serve as a demonstration project for people to learn more about simple ways to prevent bird-window collisions. Stetson and West Volusia Audubon plan to continue to work together to install additional window markers in additional areas within the building.

Learn more about what you can do to protect birds from window strikes here.