The Natural Resources Library on the ground floor of Jordan Hall on NC State campus in Raleigh, NC has an artfully curved facade of tinted glass and mirrors.Beyond decals, what can we do to alter glass so that birds can see it?
Onotholgist Dr. Daniel Klem Jr. at Muhlenburg University has a deep interest in this problem.
This problem will continue to escalate, he predicts, as development continues (--NPR story) : "If nothing changes, Klem says it's certain that the problem of window hits will escalate. He notes that in the next few decades, millions of new homes and offices will be built in the United States alone."
Volunteers in New York, such as, Ned Neboyajian, have been monitoring birds around tall reflective windows, collecting the birds and keeping a record for the National Audubon Society. It's so bad that wind power proponents use the contrast between windmill kill estimates and glass window kill estimates (100 to 900+ million year) to argue for the relatively small impact of windmills on the bird population. The wind power kill problem needs to be solved, though, so we can get more support for wind power.
Some positive action has been taken in New York. Unlit skyscrapers are less of a menace at night. Can NC State follow their lead and set a good example the rest of the community by taking some action to protect these creatures? Here are actions suggested by the National Audubon Society.
