In Spring 2025, we are expanding our monitoring and are looking for volunteers to help walk routes.
Collision Monitoring at Duke
Over a decade ago, students in the Nicholas School of the Environment (NSoE) grew concerned about bird-window collisions. They started a project to estimate the number of birds that die due to window strikes on campus, identify high-risk buildings, and implement a solution to the issue.
This project was launched by Dr. Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, a PhD student at the Nicholas School, and is now led by Dr. Nicolette Cagle, an ecologist, naturalist, and Senior Lecturer in the NSoE who offers several natural history classes. Historically, Master students and undergraduates volunteer for this joint effort and the ENVIRON 706. Wildlife Surveys class collects data annually during Spring migration on campus.
Duke University was the only campus in North Carolina to participate in a North American-wide bird-window collisions campus assessment in 2014. At the conclusion of the study, Duke was identified as a high-collision campus. As a result, the Bird Collision Project was able to leverage the high number of collisions at the top hotspots on campus to retrofit them with bird-safe decals. Since then, collision numbers at that site have decreased, but plenty of work remains to be done.
Our Goals
The Duke Bird Collision Project focuses on two main goals: identifying major collision hotspots on campus to encourage mitigation and implementation of bird-friendly design and assessing the influence weather has on collisions on campus.
Duke Assessment
Our surveying is conducted at eleven buildings on Duke’s West campus, spread across four walking routes (see below). These buildings have been identified as collision hot spots based on previous studies and incidental collision reports. Surveying is conducted during the spring and fall migration seasons, focusing mainly on peak migration (April-May, Sept-Oct)
This project is open to volunteers. If you want to volunteer, please contact us
2 replies on “Bird-Window Collision Project at Duke”
Hello,
I am an environmental artist and volunteer with Lights Out Baltimore. I’ve put together this show and I’m wondering if you would like to host it adding any local artists with relevant work. I debuted the show at Goucher College and it will be at George Mason University in October. I’m hoping it will travel to other locations. There were seventeen artists and another has joined us.
See catalogue:
http://www.goucher.edu/academics/art-and-art-history/art-galleries/silber-art-gallery/exhibits/unfriendly-skies-birds-buildings-and-collisions
Photos:
http://bmoreart.com/2015/04/bmorearts-picks-baltimore-art-galleries-openings-and-events-april-7-11.html
Thank you for what you do.
Lynne Parks
Dear Lynne,
I have seen your work and admire it a lot! As matter of fact, I often use it in my presentations (credited of course). I will look into the possibility of this but I don’t know if there is a high chance. I am a student and busy with many things but I will try.
Thanks!