Birders Take On New Role: Preventing Bird Strikes
In an effort to minimize bird strikes, a group of bird watchers in the Philippines have taken on a new mission. Led by Janina Castro, a cat rescuer turned birder, the team is working to raise awareness and collect data on bird-window collisions.
The group, known as Bird Window Strike PH (BWS PH), is a citizen science project that aims to study the occurrence of bird-window strikes across the country. With the help of volunteers from universities and communities, BWS PH has already logged 290 cases of bird strikes since 2017.
According to Castro and her fellow birder, Jelaine Gan, many of these collisions result in the death of the bird, especially among young and inexperienced birds. The researchers have identified certain bird species, like barbets and kingfishers, as more prone to hitting windows.
As cities continue to expand and replace natural habitats with high-rise buildings, more birds are vulnerable to colliding with windows. To address this issue, the researchers recommend simple and inexpensive solutions such as covering windows with tinted glass, stickers, ropes, or mesh to break up reflections that birds mistake for open sky or vegetation.
In February, BWS PH organized an exhibit called “Making the Invisible Visible” at the UP Diliman College of Science to bring attention to the common phenomenon of bird strikes. The public can report cases of bird collisions to BWS PH through their Facebook page.
By raising awareness and implementing practical solutions, the group hopes to reduce the number of bird-window collisions and protect local bird populations from unnecessary harm.
