Healing the Skies Protecting Milwaukee's Birds

When Heather first started volunteering with the Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds (WIngs), she was shocked to discover that window collisions are the second leading cause of death for songbirds in the U.S.—second only to cats. An estimated 1 billion birds are killed annually by collisions with buildings and other man-made structures across the United States.

To better understand this issue, volunteers like Heather, have been documenting bird collisions at sites in Milwaukee during the peak migration periods of spring and fall.

The work starts early, at 6am. As Heather and her partner walk the perimeter of their assigned building, they document the number of bird collisions that have occurred over night. At least a few times a week, they find injured birds that have survived the collision and are able to bring them to the Humane Society. Amazingly most of these birds make a full recovery in just a couple of days. Heather reflects “That sense of gratification when you can actually help save a bird is incredible.”

The experience has taught Heather a great deal about bird behavior.”I was really surprised to learn that most collisions don’t happen at the top of tall buildings,” Heather explains. “They actually happen on the first three floors because birds don’t fly that far from the ground.” Most collisions also happen at night when lights are left on inside. “The birds are attracted to flying through the window—especially when there’s greenery visible inside.”

Even though it’s hard to see so many birds lost during migration, Heather feels hopeful for the future. “I know this data is making a difference. Building owners are already adding protective measures, and that gives me hope for the future.”

Thanks to your support, the Urban Ecology Center continues to be a place where people like Heather can contribute to healing Milwaukee’s urban ecosystem and protecting our remarkable bird populations.

if you are interested in volunteering with WIngs please reach out to Amanda Tokuyama at atokuyama@urbanecologycenter.org