Joelle Gehring on Tackling Bird Collisions and Protecting Migratory Species

We鈥檙e excited to announce this month's episode of The Future of Conservation podcast is now live! In this episode, Joelle Gehring, an expert in migratory bird conservation, discusses a major challenge birds face: collisions with buildings and glass. Each year in the U.S., more than 1 billion birds die from these collisions 鈥 especially during migration, when they鈥檙e drawn to artificial lights at night.

The good news? Simple, effective solutions can make a real difference 鈥 like adding patterns to your windows, choosing bird-friendly glass, and reducing lights at night. Joelle shares her insights and work on how we can all help create spaces that are safer for birds and better for people.

We all have a role to play in building a safer, more sustainable future for our feathered friends. 

What You鈥檒l Learn in This Episode:

With Joelle's experience in the bet365下载ioss' Migratory Bird Program, she offers valuable knowledge on reducing bird collisions and protecting migratory species. 

  • Anthropogenic Threats to Birds: Human-made threats, like collisions with buildings, glass, and artificial lights, significantly impact bird populations. Nearly 1 billion birds collide with structures each year, particularly in low-rise buildings and homes, with migrating birds being especially vulnerable.
     
  • Bird Collisions with Glass: Dr. Gehring explains how birds often don't recognize glass as an obstacle, either trying to fly through it or being drawn to reflections of vegetation or the sky.
     
  • Light Pollution and Its Effects on Migration: Light pollution disorients migratory birds, leading them to stray from their natural flight paths and increasing collisions with lit structures like buildings and towers. 
     
  • Empowerment to Make a Difference: Dr. Gehring emphasizes that despite the scale of the issue, individuals can make a meaningful impact by addressing bird collision risks in their own communities, homes, and workplaces.
     

Related Resources to Help You Create a Bird-Friendly Future: To help you get started on your own bird-friendly journey, we鈥檝e compiled some useful resources that were mentioned during the podcast:

We hope this episode inspires you to take action and make a positive impact on the birds around you. Tune in to hear all the details, and be sure to check out the resources to get started on your own bird-friendly efforts. Happy listening!

Listen Now:



Brought to you by The Future of Conservation podcast, where we explore cutting-edge science, innovative ideas, and the passionate people working to protect our planet and its species. There are new episodes every month鈥 so you never miss one and join us in making a positive impact on our environment!

Story Tags

Animal migration
Biologists (USbet365下载ios)
Birds
Birdwatching
Buildings, facilities and structures
Human impacts
Human-wildlife conflicts
Migratory birds
Science