Bird Fatality Survey and Rescue on University of Akron Campus
[Past Projects]
Hunter King, Daniel Garvin and Meron Dibia
More than a billion birds die due to collision with man made structures every year in North America (1). As an extension of our work with birds in Dr King’s Lab, we would like to mitigate this around our campus area. Especially since preliminary data by Akron Zoo conservation efforts show our lab building, Goodyear Polymer Center seen here, is the worst offender in the area.
In order to prevent birds from colliding with windows, there are several glass treatment options available. However, these are extremely expensive considering the size of our buildings on campus. Therefore, we need to have a precise idea of where limited glass/window treatment will be most effective in saving the lives of migration birds like the blackburnian warbler seen here. We are looking for several students to volunteer their time and energy from mid-late March through the end of the semester into a survey and rescue operation for birds on campus. Students will be working together in groups with project leaders mainly in the early mornings between 5:30 and 7:00am. The project will start with zoom training in collaboration with The Akron Zoo and Ohio Lights Out. Training will teach students to safely approach, handle, label, and transport dead or injured birds.
Click here for other information about Dr. King.Click her for more information about projects in Dr. King’s lab.
