The Yale Bird-Friendly Building Initiative is collecting data on bird collisions on Yale’s campus and in the greater New Haven area. In addition to contributing to scientific research, these data are very helpful for identifying buildings and facades that are killing birds frequently and for advocating for mitigation action to prevent future bird deaths.
Members of New Haven Bird Club could support this valuable project. We have a reputation for strong support for community science like the Connecticut Bird Atlas, Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Surveys and the Hawk Watch at Lighthouse Point.
If you encounter a dead or stunned bird near a building, we encourage you to please report it. Photograph the bird from several angles (to help with species identification) and note the location where you found it. You can report the bird in any of three ways — whatever method is easiest for you:
1. By iNaturalist: If you have an iNaturalist account or are willing to create one, you can report the bird directly by joining the iNaturalist group “Yale and New Haven Bird-Window Collisions” and adding it as an observation. iNaturalist is a free citizen science app that can be accessed via a smart phone or web browser.
2. By online form: Alternatively, if you do not have an iNaturalist account, you can report the bird by filling out this online form with the photo and information about the bird, and the Yale Bird-Friendly Building Initiative team will record the observation for you.
3. By email: Lastly, you can report the bird directly by email to Viveca Morris at viveca.morris@yale.edu.
Thank you!