SMASH THE CRASH
ending bird-window collisions at the University of Rochester
Help us end bird-window collisions by
1) volunteering for our monitoring program
2) documenting collisions in our citizen science project
3) spreading the word and advocating for change
Continue reading below for details, instructions, and resources.
BUILDING MONITORING
Whether you are a student, staff, or faculty, you can volunteer as a building monitor. To sign up, please [CONTACT] us. We are currently accepting new volunteers for our fall migration survey.
Volunteering is a 30-minute commitment three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Our [PROTOCOL] specifies our working procedures.
Participation in our study is a great way to meet other individuals passionate about wildlife conservation and develop skills in biological fieldwork, data entry, and species identification.
COLLISION DOCUMENATION
Another way to help end window collisions is to document any injured or dead birds that you find on campus. You can do this any time of the year. All that you need is a smartphone to photograph the bird. We also encourage you to carry a few plastic gloves (to handle birds for photos), hand sanitizer (to disinfect after handling birds), and brown paper bags (in the event that you need to protect an injured bird).
There are two steps to collision documentation:
1) Snap a picture. Ideally, take three pictures: one of the top, one of the bottom, and one of the side of the bird. This will help with species identification.
2) Submit your picture. You can do so by uploading to [BIRDMAPPER] or [iNATURALIST]. You can also use this [FORM]. Please include your photos, along with as much information as you can provide with respect to species, location, date, and time of day. If you choose to upload to birdmapper, please [CONTACT] us with your username so that we can add you to our project!
Please note that we cannot accept dead birds due to regulations set by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Leave the bird where you found it. We will look into it after we have received your photo submission.
You might occasionally encounter an injured bird. Signs of stress include but are not limited to open-mouth breathing, eye-shutting, distress calls, drooping head, fluffed feathers, head tilting, inability to stand, blood, broken bones, and a lack of escape behavior. After photographing the bird from a distance, you may choose to safeguard them for rehabilitation. FLAP Canada has made a [GUIDE] for approaching, handling, and bagging injured birds. Once the bird is secured in a paper bag, contact a wildlife rehabilitation center (see below). Do NOT try to handle any birds of prey.
We have partnered with the following two wildlife rehabilitators who are approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
Charlotte “Charli” Rohack – 409.974.1840
Kris Forsythe-King – 315.374.4542
If you are not comfortable with treating an injured bird, do not hesitate to [CONTACT] us and say where you found them. We will follow up as quickly as possible. It is important that you do not try to chase the bird or provide food or water.
COMMUNICATION & ADVOCACY
One of the biggest ways you can help end bird-window collisions is by promoting awareness of this conservation crisis. Talk to your friends, family, peers, professors, and colleagues in person and on social media. [PRINT] our flyer and hang it up in your dorm, office, or other public place (bulletin boards are always a convenient way to share information). Contact representatives in student government or city, state, and federal officials to advocate for bird-safe building codes. The US Fish and Wildlife Service keeps a bird-window collision [TOOLKIT], including template letters to university leaders and building owners.
If you are a renter or an owner and want to install collision deterrents on your windows, check out this [GUIDE] to bird-safe products from the American Bird Conservancy. The research coordinator of FLAP Canada, Brendon Samuels, has made an [INFOGRAPHIC] that depicts which treatments are the most effective and how to apply them. When in doubt, [CONTACT] us for a free consultation.