Document Type

Honors Project

Publication Date

6-11-2026

Abstract

Windows are currently the largest killer of birds on the planet, with an estimated 1 billion birds dying from collisions annually. If birds that hit windows do not die on impact, they may either die elsewhere shortly afterwards, resulting in the number of carcasses at collision sites being a conservative estimate of the actual number of fatalities. During the day, proximity to foraging sites and reflectivity play crucial roles in the danger of windows, and during the night, artificial illumination emitting from windows disorients and inhibits navigational cues. To explore this topic on campus, I documented bird collisions at Lawrence University for three migratory seasons and conducted point counts of the species present in the area. The vast majority of the collisions happened at Warch Campus Center – a building with two sides facing vegetation that are multiple stories high and almost entirely made of glass. The species that collided with windows did not reflect the overall abundance of different species observed. From these findings, we can conclude that migratory species are much more susceptible to window collisions than residential, and that actions are needed to mitigate the sensory traps of large windows, like those at Warch Campus Center.

Level of Honors

magna cum laude

Department

Biology

Advisor

Jodi Sedlock

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