Project Description
Around 600 million birds die every year in the United States after striking glass-covered or illuminated tall buildings according to research from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. These collisions can be minimized with the use of special glass treatments and/or light management. To identify buildings that are at the greatest risk of causing bird strikes an index of building vulnerability is being developed. The index will look at factors such as glass reflectivity, see-through conditions, percent of the building with glass, presence of overhangs or structural traps, proximity to landscaping, lighting use, and other building features. The index will be calibrated with bird mortality data collected at buildings in downtown Milwaukee. The goal is an index of bird strike potential that can be distributed nationally and internationally by the American Bird Conservancy an international nonprofit organization focused on bird protection and a technical partner to the research.
Tasks and Responsibilites
The UWM undergraduate research student will be responsible for collecting field data on building characteristics that may facilitate bird strikes. Office buildings in downtown Milwaukee will be used to calibrate and test the index. Data on bird strikes will also be collected to calibrate and verify the index. A manual on the use of the index will be developed for publication and distribution by the American Bird Conservancy.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed.