Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses
Feeding wild birds creates an important link between homeowners and conservation. The effects of bird feeders and year-round feeding on birds have not been well studied, however, particularly in relationship to bird-window collisions. We determined effects of bird feeder presence and placement on bi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol10/iss2/art6/ |
| _version_ | 1797970374370000896 |
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| author | Justine A. Kummer Erin M. Bayne |
| author_facet | Justine A. Kummer Erin M. Bayne |
| author_sort | Justine A. Kummer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Feeding wild birds creates an important link between homeowners and conservation. The effects of bird feeders and year-round feeding on birds have not been well studied, however, particularly in relationship to bird-window collisions. We determined effects of bird feeder presence and placement on bird-window collisions at residential homes. Paired month-long trials in which a feeder was either present or absent for one month and then removed or added for the second month were completed at 55 windows at 43 houses. In each trial, homeowners were asked to search their study window daily for evidence of a bird-window collision. During the study there were 51 collisions when there was no bird feeder and 94 when the feeder was present. The season when each trial was set up was the best individual predictor of bird-window collisions. The largest number of collisions was observed during fall migration and the lowest during the winter months. There were no collisions at 26 of the study windows. High variance was observed in the number of collisions at different houses, indicating that effects of bird feeders are context dependent. Changing the occurrence, timing, and placement of feeders can alter collision rates but is only one of many factors that influence whether a residential house is likely to have a bird window-collision or not. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:15:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-358267a260b347c9b30117ecc1f3ac43 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:15:50Z |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-358267a260b347c9b30117ecc1f3ac432023-01-02T10:19:45ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682015-12-01102610.5751/ACE-00787-100206787Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential housesJustine A. Kummer0Erin M. Bayne1Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaFeeding wild birds creates an important link between homeowners and conservation. The effects of bird feeders and year-round feeding on birds have not been well studied, however, particularly in relationship to bird-window collisions. We determined effects of bird feeder presence and placement on bird-window collisions at residential homes. Paired month-long trials in which a feeder was either present or absent for one month and then removed or added for the second month were completed at 55 windows at 43 houses. In each trial, homeowners were asked to search their study window daily for evidence of a bird-window collision. During the study there were 51 collisions when there was no bird feeder and 94 when the feeder was present. The season when each trial was set up was the best individual predictor of bird-window collisions. The largest number of collisions was observed during fall migration and the lowest during the winter months. There were no collisions at 26 of the study windows. High variance was observed in the number of collisions at different houses, indicating that effects of bird feeders are context dependent. Changing the occurrence, timing, and placement of feeders can alter collision rates but is only one of many factors that influence whether a residential house is likely to have a bird window-collision or not.http://www.ace-eco.org/vol10/iss2/art6/bird feedersbird mortalitybird-window collisionsbuildingsglass |
| spellingShingle | Justine A. Kummer Erin M. Bayne Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses Avian Conservation and Ecology bird feeders bird mortality bird-window collisions buildings glass |
| title | Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses |
| title_full | Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses |
| title_fullStr | Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses |
| title_short | Bird feeders and their effects on bird-window collisions at residential houses |
| title_sort | bird feeders and their effects on bird window collisions at residential houses |
| topic | bird feeders bird mortality bird-window collisions buildings glass |
| url | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol10/iss2/art6/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT justineakummer birdfeedersandtheireffectsonbirdwindowcollisionsatresidentialhouses AT erinmbayne birdfeedersandtheireffectsonbirdwindowcollisionsatresidentialhouses |