Protections for Campus Birds

By Alin Brdar Last updated Nov 7, 2024

The shrubs around Johnson Hall have become a makeshift tomb for many a bird. PHOTO CREDIT: ALDEN TIMM ’25

The St. Lawrence Facilities Operations workers recently installed Acopian BirdSavers on glass windows of the Johnson Hall of Science to prevent bird collisions and deaths. Every year, lured by clear reflections of natural vegetation, birds fly towards glass buildings and windows ending up injured or killed on impact. The estimates are that in the United States alone, two billion birds per year die or collide with windows.

Associate Professor of Biology Susan Willson and her students have been collecting data on bird deaths around campus for several years. Over the last two years they have documented 68 bird collisions on campus. “Almost all of them are dead birds and very few survive,” said Willson.

Having no ability to understand glass as a barrier, birds fly 30 miles an hour through the air into reflections of natural vegetation around buildings or potted plants in glass walkways. “Birds are just attracted to that, they see this habitat and they’re flying either through or past that and they just smash,” said Willson.

This issue has profoundly impacted students and faculty across campus. “My students have been so traumatized by seeing dead birds outside of Johnson Hall of Science and other places,” recalled Willson. Faculty members and staff are dreading September and October, as they must walk through an area where there might be dying or dead birds. “There’s been real trauma I think, and that continues on campus for people who do this work,” said Willson.

In response to this ongoing problem, Willson and one of her students Evelyn Albrecht have submitted a proposal for a Green Innovation Grant provided by the Center for the Environment here at SLU. “It was through this grant that we are now able to apply window treatments,” said Albrecht.

According to Willson, Acopian BirdSavers provided her project with a highly effective, aesthetically pleasing and affordable solution. “I believe BirdSavers are very effective compared to other solutions because they are a ‘3D’ solution that is not attached to the surface of the glass, whereas most other solutions are applied to the surface of the glass,” said Jeff Acopian, co-owner of Acopian Power Supply and inventor of BirdSavers.

BirdSavers are essentially paracords that are strung on to windows to limit the reflectivity of them so that birds do not fly into them. He also added that BirdSavers have been rated for higher effectiveness than almost all 2D solutions by the American Bird Conservancy.

Though solutions are being implemented, Willson remains concerned about limited funding for environ- mental conservation projects, such as Acopian BirdSavers. “I suggest that students get way more involved because it is something we can do locally right on campus,” said Willson. Her idea is to consider where resources like the senior fund are being directed. “Maybe it shouldn’t be put toward a flagpole and maybe it should be put toward something like this,” concluded Willson.