Citizen science to address the global issue of bird–window collisions

Abstract

Bird–window collisions (BWCs) are a major threat to avian populations, annually causing up to one billion bird deaths in the US alone and untold numbers of fatalities worldwide. Until recently, there has been limited institutional and governmental recognition of this issue and few coordinated, national-level efforts to address it. To fill this need, citizen-science campaigns have stepped in to generate scientific information about BWCs, raise public awareness, and advocate for policy and actions to reduce collisions. We review the BWC issue and showcase how citizen-science programs in multiple countries have achieved these outcomes. Additional citizen-driven successes in addressing BWCs are possible if key constraints are overcome, including funding limitations and challenges of proactively engaging stakeholders who can reduce BWCs at scale. Addressing this global conservation issue will also require building upon the recent increase in attention to BWCs by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, commercial entities, and professional scientists.