SMASH THE CRASH

ending bird-window collisions at the University of Rochester

Over the past decade, 165 different species of bird have been spotted at the University of Rochester.¹ Some live here year-round, like the red-tailed hawks that perch atop Rush Rhees Library. Others—white-throated sparrows and yellow-billed cuckoos, for example—might stop by temporarily to rest and feed along their fall and spring migration routes.

Tragically, many of these birds will collide into our building windows every year and die, residents and migrants alike. Birds do not recognize glass as a solid material, and the landscaping features that make our campus so beautiful, like its abundant vegetation, reflect off glass and trick birds into thinking they are flying toward their natural habitat.² Few of them survive.

In North America, populations of birds have declined by almost a third since the 1970s.³ This is an urgent matter. Birds are not only pleasing to look at and listen to; they also play invaluable roles in our ecosystem by dispersing seeds, pollinating flowers, and controlling pests. If we want to continue to enjoy these services and marvel at their beauty, we need to end bird-window collisions now. We need to smash the crash.

A CONSERVATION CRISIS

Window collisions are the biggest directly human-related threat to birds after habitat destruction. Recent studies of bird-window collisions estimate that between 1.92 and 5.19 billion birds will be killed by glass every year in the United States.⁴ Death is rarely immediate; more often, birds will suffer brain damage, only later succumbing to their injuries.⁵ White-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, ovenbirds, and song sparrows are the most common victims of glass, but all species are vulnerable.

Over the past few years, members of our community have had the distressing experience of finding dead birds outside Wilson Commons, Hutchinson Hall, and University Health Services, among other buildings. These include swamp sparrows, black-throated green warblers, Lincoln’s sparrows, golden-crowned kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers, Swainson’s thrushes. It is especially alarming that two species known to frequent the university’s grounds, the Canada warbler and the wood thrush, are on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2021 Birds of Conservation Concern List.⁶

Leading models of bird-window collisions predict that, on average, 716 birds will die annually on the River Campus alone, but we do not yet have an official count.⁷ This is because the majority of collisions go unnoticed. Injured birds often hide under trees and shrubs, where rats, squirrels, and other scavengers eventually find them.⁸ To begin advocating for a safer environment for birds, we first need to accurately know how many birds our windows are killing and which buildings pose the greatest threat.

STUDYING THE PROBLEM

Smash the Crash is a bird-window collision research initiative driven by students and faculty at the University of Rochester. We aim to determine the number and location of collisions on campus. Our work consist of two ongoing investigations: 1) a monitoring program of nine buildings conducted by a team of trained, dedicated volunteers and 2) a university-wide citizen science survey that anyone can join, anytime. To participate in either of our two studies, click [HERE] and begin making our campus a safer environment for birds.

The Monitoring Program

While any window can potentially kill birds, some buildings are particularly dangerous due to a combination of biological, environmental, and sociocultural factors. Understanding which of our buildings are the most deadly requires that we monitor them regularly to obtain a reliable estimate of the number of birds that collide into them. Collisions happen every season, but the bulk of collisions occurs during fall migration.⁹ Our initial survey will thus run from late September into early November. Based on preliminary data and input from outside experts, we will monitor the nine buildings circled below that we predict will kill the greatest number of birds. You can read more in our [PROTOCOL].

The Citizen Science Survey

In addition to our monitoring program, we are calling on every member of the University of Rochester community to contribute to our citizen science survey. All you need is a smartphone. If you see an injured or dead bird on campus, we ask that you photograph and upload them to iNaturalist or birdmapper. You can also submit them to us via email or our website. Further instruction is available [HERE]. This can be done any time of the year. By sharing your observations, you will not only help us visualize local collision hotspots but also contribute to global efforts to document bird-window collisions.

TOWARDS A BIRD-SAFE CAMPUS

The good news about bird-window collisions is that effective “bird-safe” window treatments are already available for retrofits and new construction. By studying the frequency and distribution of “window kills” on campus, we hope to help our university leadership make informed decisions about the design of our buildings and landscapes. With more data, we will be able to prioritize high-risk areas and recommend solutions for older buildings that are functional, beautiful, and cost-neutral. For newer buildings, we will be able to suggest additions to the official standards on glazing maintained by the Department of Planning, Design, and Construction.¹⁰

Our peer institutions around the country have already begun to address this important conservation issue.¹¹ Northwestern,¹² Duke,¹³ Emory,¹⁴ the University of Chicago,¹⁵ Harvard,¹⁶ Washington University in St. Louis,¹⁷ Johns Hopkins,¹⁸ NYU,¹⁹ and Tulane have installed collision deterrents on many of their buildings,²⁰ as has our neighboring school SUNY Brockport,²¹ while Yale,²² Princeton,²³ Cornell,²⁴ and the University of Pennsylvania have all amended their design standards to include bird-safe provisions.²⁵ By ending bird-window collisions, the University of Rochester would not simply maintain its stellar international reputation as a leader in sustainability.²⁶ It would, more importantly, uphold its commitment to “Meliora,” our core motto—that is, to making the world a better place.²⁷

REFERENCES

[1] eBird
[2] Daniel Klem 1989
[3] Kenneth Rosenberg et al. 2019
[4] Daniel Klem et al. 2024
[5] Daniel Klem 1990
[6] US Fish & Wildlife Service Birds of Conservation Concern 2021
[7] The University of Rochester maintains 61 buildings on its River Campus: 31 residential (1-3 stories) and 30 low-rise (4-11 stories). See University IT. On average, every residential building will kill 2.1 birds/year, and every low-rise building, 21.7 birds/year, for a total of 716. See Scott Loss et al. 2014. Note that this is based on national averages and the incidence of windowkills at UR might even be higher.
[8] Hager et al. 2012
[9] Scott Loss et al. 2014
[10] University of Rochester Design Standards
[11] Chronicle of Higher Education
[12] Northwestern Now
[13] The Chronicle
[14] Emory Sustainability Initiatives
[15] The University of Chicago Office of Sustainability
[16] Washington Square News
[17] The Source
[18] Johns Hopkins University Office of Sustainability
[19] Harvard Animal Law and & Policy Program
[20] Tulane Campus Services
[21] Unpublished interview with Paul Tankel, former SUNY Brockport campus architect
[22] Yale Sustainability
[23] Sustainability at Princeton
[24] Cornell Chronicle
[25] Penn Sustainability
[26] University of Rochester Sustainability
[27] University of Rochester Strategic Plan