Reducing Bird Collisions in Bird Cities

media release: Join us for an in-depth, hands on training that will cover all the aspects of protecting our resident and migrating birds from hitting windows. This workshop is geared to movers and shakers in the community, particularly those who manage their Bird City Wisconsin status, outreach staff or volunteers, and community members interested in preventing bird window collisions and promoting or enacting city ordinances.

The all-day workshop will include:

Information about bird migration, biology, and physiology

Details on why windows are problematic for birds, and what types of windows are particularly dangerous for birds

Discussion on solutions, ranging from most effective to least, and how those solutions can vary based on scale (homeowner v. medium sized building v. large building)

Discussion on cost of solutions, and brainstorming on how to have window treatments paid for through private funding or grants

Hands-on activities to practice installing various window treatments, including dots, paracord curtains, and tempera paint

Information on the Madison and Middleton Bird-Safe Glass Ordinances, with lessons learned and a how-to guide

Details on how citizen science can gather critical information, and how to run a Bird Collision Corps program

Brainstorming for outreach methods in your community: presentations, articles, example windows, citizen science programming, and more

Tying all of this together for Bird City Wisconsin status

This event will be held at Kromrey Middle School in Middleton Wisconsin, from 9am until 4pm including a 1 hour lunch break. The cost to participate is $25/person, and includes classroom materials. Participants should bring their own lunch.

Co-hosted by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, Bird City Wisconsin, City of Middleton Sustainability Committee, SOS Save Our Songbirds, and Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy.