Get Familiar with Bird-Friendly Policies
Unless local or regional legislation prohibits it, it is not illegal to have a building that kills birds, so in most cases, no one is obligated to retrofit windows. Research legislation, ordinances, and codes, and learn about what laws, if any, your locality might have in place. Make your request for action friendly, and proactively include an offer to help address the problem of window collisions at the site in question.
Also, keep in mind that most people have no idea of the magnitude of glass collisions as a conservation issue. Even those who do may not be aware that their own building is killing birds, or that there are bird-friendly solutions to prevent collisions. You may be helping people learn about the problem of window collisions. Be prepared to share resources, including pointing them to abcbirds.org.
Assess Your Audience
Different building owners/operators will have different motivations to act. Some may take immediate interest in preventing collisions simply because it’s the right thing to do, but that may not be enough once costs and aesthetics enter the conversation. Consider what might compel someone to take action.
If the problem building is a business, for example, consider asking how the collisions problem might influence the business’s image with customers or affect employee morale. If the building is at a school or university, suggest that resolving this issue could be a way for students to learn about conservation biology, bird-friendly design, organizing, and effecting real-world change. Many schools have sustainability policies and even sustainability departments. Pointing out that sustainable buildings don’t kill birds is a good way to put the issue in context. If birds are dying at a government building, think about what citizens expect from their leaders and what type of community they want to live in (and consider adopting a bird-friendly building ordinance). For landlords, consider the desirability of living in an environmentally friendly building.
In some instances, a petition may be effective, demonstrating that a large number of people would like to see a collision problem addressed. If you go this route, create a petition that makes a friendly request for action because you do not want to get anyone who signs it into trouble with the building owners (employers, landlords, etc.). In general, though, a petition should not be the first way the problem is broached.
Document Collision Problems
Providing documentation of collisions can be helpful. Walk the perimeter of the building in question in the morning (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.), particularly during spring and fall migration. Take photos of any window collision victims you find and maintain a list of the species and number you found each day. The photos provide proof of the problem and can be used to spur others to action.
If you find live, injured, or stunned birds, carefully place them in a paper bag and take them to a certified wildlife rehabilitator. Building maintenance staff are often well aware if there is a collision problem and may be able to direct you to “hot spots.”
Prepare to Be a Problem Solver
You should be prepared to show the building owner some of the potential solutions they might use, so that they do not have to find something on their own. For this, we recommend ABC’s Products and Solutions Database.
If you are successful and retrofits are installed, make sure that you offer to help the building owner/manager find a way to let people know that they took action. If they are not interested, respect that. If they are, consider things like signs, posters, window clings, posting a story on the owner’s website, local media stories, a flyer for building occupants, or other means of sharing the good news.
If the building owner declines to install retrofits, maintain a good relationship with them while continuing to document the problem, talk to other concerned people, and, if appropriate, raise the issue to others who might have influence. It can take time for people to realize that they need to act. Turnover in ownership or management that brings a new face may also bring a new attitude, perhaps one more receptive to your concerns, so be patient.
