A wildlife sanctuary of a private university requested its community to report any dazed or lifeless birds that have possibly been hit by reflective windows.
In a statement on Facebook, the Ateneo Wild, a page dedicated to documenting wildlife within the Ateneo de Manila University campus, made this request following the recent death of a Lowland White-eye bird.
“Jero Galler-Pascual was exiting the Innovation Wing at the Areté when he and his companions witnessed this Lowland White-eye (Zosterops meyeni) fall lifeless to the floor of the Ubuntu Space,” the post reads.
Ateneo Wild explained that the bird might have been unaware that they flew toward a hard surface and not the sky.
“It is likely that it hit the shiny windows reflecting the sky, unaware that it was flying into a hard glass surface. While some birds might recover from their daze, some immediately end up dead or permanently injured from the window strike,” it added.
A photo of the bird was also attached to the post.
Ateneo Wild then gave a brief trivia about the endemic songbirds.
“Lowland White-eyes are small songbirds, which actively forage in the canopy for insects, in pairs or small flocks. Their soft twittering calls can be heard overhead, especially when the flock is flying from tree to tree. They are found on Luzon and nearby islands, including islands south of Taiwan. Isn’t it so sad to see this vibrantly colored bird devoid of life?” it said.
Many of these birds, unfortunately, die because of window collisions.
To prevent more deaths of these feathered creatures, the group is requesting the Ateneo community to report to them any dazed or dead birds they see at the base of buildings.
“Please report any dazed or dead birds you see at the base of buildings where they could have possibly hit large windows. Do not touch the birds with your bare hands, but take a photo and send it to us!” the post reads.
Members of the Ateneo Wild will use this data to identify areas within the campus where they may “break up” the reflections on glass windows.
“The most effective way so far is to break up the reflections on the glass by placing appropriately spaced decals, tapes, or strips. This allows birds to see the window as a barrier because the spaces reflecting the sky are too small to fly through,” it said.
Ateneo Wild also encouraged other people to report to them birds that are window strike victims outside of the campus.
They may send the report through this email at: jccastro@ateneo.edu. The subject of the email should be “Window Strike.”
“Let’s help in understanding bird window strikes in the Philippines. Follow @Bird Window Strike PH for more information. Thanks, Jero, for your concern and immediate reporting!” the group said.
Journalist Regine Cabato also posted this call on Twitter.
Sharing in case this saves some feathered friends: Do not use reflective glass on your windows! Window strikes kill up to a billion birds a year.
Report any bird deaths in @ateneodemanilau to @TheAteneoWild. If this is happening in your campus or community, consider organizing. pic.twitter.com/PUnqblU3si
— Regine Cabato (@RegineCabato) August 24, 2022