CHAMPAIGN-URBANA (WCIA) — A group of University of Illinois students is documenting bird deaths on campus — and working to figure out how to reduce the number of birds that die after colliding with windows and buildings.

The Bird Strike Survey is connected to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Volunteers look for injured birds from September to November in the fall and from March to May in the spring. They survey “problem buildings” twice a day; when they find an injured or dead bird, they document information like its species, where and when it was found and the direction the window it hit was facing.

The surveyors use this information to identify which buildings on campus are most dangerous to birds and which species are most impacted.

The Bird Strike Survey began at the U of I in 2019. Sarah Jacobson, an NRES senior involved with the project, said it all started when students decided to do something about the number of bird strikes on campus.

“Bird strikes are a huge problem in combined urban and natural areas, like this campus, because a lot of birds use them as stopover habitat during migration,” Jacobson said. 

Jacobson added that an estimated 1 billion birds die from bird strikes in North America each year.

On the U of I’s campus, certain features make it dangerous for birds. For example, a bird may mistake the Quad’s reflection on a glass building for real trees and sky — and fly right at the building. At night, migrating birds can also become disoriented by artificial lights.

Those involved in the project said they hope the data they collect will lead to building design changes, ultimately supporting bird conservation on campus. The Bird Strike Survey team is already speaking with the U of I about possible solutions. This includes applying overlays to windows to reduce reflections, or installing sticker grids that create the illusion of an obstacle birds can’t fly through.

And the project couldn’t come at a more important time. Benjamin Van Doren, an assistant professor in NRES and one of several faculty advisors to the project, said birds are essential to our natural ecosystem, but are facing certain threats.

“North American bird populations are currently declining at a worrying rate, and collisions with buildings are a large source of direct, human-caused mortality,” Van Doren said.

Students from all across campus are involved in the leadership team.

NRES seniors Jacobson and Wren Dulnev provide information about ecology and field work; Avi Berger, a graduate student in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, is in charge of specimen preservation; Leilany Fuentes-Garcia, senior in sustainable design, Ciara Roon West, junior in civil engineering, provide insight into bird-friendly construction practices.

Anyone interested in learning how to identify birds, promote bird conservation, and help reduce bird strikes can sign up to volunteer for the survey’s fall season, which begins Sept. 5.

To read more about how NRES students are working to protect birds from window strikes, visit the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences online.