Human dimensions of �bird-window collisions: �advocacy & storytelling

Brendon Samuels

PhD Candidate, Department of Biology

University of Western Ontario

To prevent bird-window collisions and conserve birds, �first we must change human behaviour, by motivating:

1. corporations to retrofit windows at offices, commercial buildings, on campuses and in other visible public spaces
2. homeowners to retrofit residential windows (+ keep cats indoors, etc.)
3. developers to adopt bird-friendly building design in new buildings
4. government decision makers (municipal, provincial and national) to require bird-friendly building design through new policies and laws, to promote public education, to enforce legal protections for birds and to fund programs related to conserving birds and habitat

Over time, as we motivate more people, we will normalize bird-friendly windows and achieve lasting cultural change.

Disclaimers

1. This is a general guide; it is not prescriptive.
2. The best way to advocate is always relative to the specific people involved.
3. Values, sensitivities and experiences vary widely. Some courses of advocacy will work well with certain audiences and less well with others.
4. Advocates have their own styles, strengths, and degrees of comfort.
5. Everybody’s advocacy is different:

- individual freedom to advocate intersects with privilege.

- a variety of social, economic, health-related and other systemic barriers may cause difficulties for some advocates.

General principles for talking to people about bird-window collisions (towards inspiring action)

1. The first goal is to establish key relationships and trust.

2. Identify your target’s values that you can appeal to.

3. Calmly demonstrate the problem

- using visuals and/or statistics supported by science.

- by providing relevant evidence, if available.

- by creating a memorable, emotional experience, if possible.

4. Make the information delivery personal to you/them.

5. Address possible barriers to action.

6. Be patient, but don’t be shy about following up later.

7. Try to remain polite, compassionate, approachable.

6 suggested steps for approaching corporations about preventing bird-window collisions at their buildings:

1. Identify your goal(s)
2. Collect a snapshot of the problem
3. Find and recruit supporters, locally and/or internally
4. Identify specifically who you need to convince to take action and how to reach them
5. Produce evidence (i.e., bird collision surveys)
6. Apply carrot and/or stick

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1. Identify your goal(s)�

Existing building retrofits

– Which windows?

– What about lights at night?

– Consider risk assessment

– Can retrofits be tied in with planned building maintenance?

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New building windows

– Which windows?

– What is the timeline for planning and construction?

– Who owns the building? Who is the planner? Who is the architect?

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2. Collect a snapshot of the problem

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• Conduct preliminary bird surveys at the site and at buildings in the surrounding area. Document dead/injured birds with photos.
• Also take photos of hazard windows at the site, capturing reflections or transparency (if possible, to illustrate the risk).
• Check citizen/community science databases (iNaturalist, birdmapper.org) for existing records and add your own.

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3. Find and recruit supporters, locally and/or internally

• Speak to building maintenance staff. Leave your contact info for if they find birds.
• Seek out a sympathetic employee or other internal contact.
• Reach out to local nature and conservation groups or academic institutions for contacts to assist with monitoring effort.
• Participate in Global Bird Rescue

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Example poster / business card to distribute at building

4. Identify specifically who you need to convince, and how to reach them

• Ask internal contacts
• Start with sustainability or landscaping people, if available
• Check corporate website for employee directory
• Contact a customer service or communications rep to ask
• Keep contacts, notes on correspondence organized

5. Produce evidence (bird surveys)

• Use a dedicated platform like iNaturalist or Global Bird Mapper
• Take photographs of each bird you find

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5. Produce evidence (bird surveys)

• If feasible, collect birds and stage a layout
• Keep track of monitoring effort (i.e. frequency, durations of surveys)

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6. Apply carrot and/or stick

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• Personally reach out to an administrator, manager, director or whoever is in charge
• Express concern, offer to help
• Frame action as an opportunity to promote environmental sustainability
• Emphasize positive publicity, community aspects
• Relate your proposal to their identity

(e.g. existing corporate commitment to sustainability)

• Center your proposal around who they are accountable to (e.g. customers, students)

6. Apply carrot and/or stick

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• Post pictures on social media and call them out
• Place stickers or signs near the problem windows
• Start an online petition
• Relocate bird carcasses to near building entrances
• Contact local news organizations
• Stage an in-person protest

6. Apply carrot and/or stick

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Suggested steps for appealing to homeowners

1. Identify your goal(s)
2. Scoping
3. Share educational resources
4. Strategic outreach

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1. Identify your goal(s)

• Are you targeting a specific home, a street or a neighbourhood?
• What are you asking them to do? Be specific
• Are you available to speak with homeowners directly?
• Who are you speaking to? Are there social, economic or cultural factors to consider?

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2. Scoping

• View the exteriors of homes using Google Street View or Google Earth to identify problem windows. Keep this confidential!

2. Scoping

• View the exteriors of homes using Google Street View or Google Earth to identify problem windows. Keep this confidential!
• Visit the neighborhood and view homes in-person from the street.
• Identify addresses with bird feeders, bird houses, etc.
• Look for windows with existing deterrents (e.g. birds of prey stickers).
• Homes with natural landscaping that appear to be deliberately creating habitat might be more receptive.
• Prioritize checking homes along boundaries of green spaces.

3. Share educational resources

• You may knock at the front door of homes (i.e. canvassing) and share information in-person OR leave materials in the mailbox.
• For in-person, proceed with caution. Clarify who you are speaking to; are they the homeowner?
• For mailbox, a personally-signed, “neighbourly” letter is the best option, or share a pamphlet, postcard, etc. if available.
• Always provide something the recipient can return to later to access more information.
• Ideally, link to a webpage including general information (about bird-window collisions) as well as locally-specific information e.g. (local availability of window retrofit products, contractors who can perform installations).

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4. Strategic outreach

• To identify potential barriers, approach the problem at both individual and community levels
• Homeowners may be more likely to accept the idea of window treatments if they see them on other homes in their community
• Check which local stores sell effective window retrofit products (e.g. Feather Friendly DIY Tape sold at bird feeding stores like Wild Birds Unlimited or hardware stores like Lee Valley Tools)
• Are there local contractors who could be hired to retrofit home windows?

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Suggested steps for appealing to municipal government about supporting bird-friendly policies and programs

1. Identify the goal(s)
2. Recruit allies
3. Develop an advocacy strategy
4. Rally support from the public / constituents
5. Do your homework (and the government’s homework too!)

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1. Identify the goal(s)

• What office is responsible for making the changes you want?
• How is development regulated in your municipality?
• e.g. Site Plan Control
• What are the applicable policies, plans, strategies, etc.?
• In general, it is easier to frame your asks within an existing framework rather than generating a new one
• e.g. aligning language in the asks with a climate or biodiversity commitment
• Don’t reinvent the wheel; follow the example of another municipality
• e.g. City of Toronto 2007 Green Standard

2. Recruit allies

• Start at the lowest possible level of government for someone to say “yes”, then work your way up
• Look for people who are likely to be sympathetic to environmental or animal welfare concerns
• e.g. Approach a municipal advisory committee member 🡪 speak to the committee 🡪 speak to city planning staff 🡪 city counsellors
• The higher up you reach, the more leverage and insider knowledge you will access

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3. Develop an advocacy strategy

• Once you have your asks, establish a timeline and figure out the mechanism to get what you want.
• What are the steps required to implement changes, and how long do they take?
• Where and when should you apply pressure?
• Municipal projects may need to pass through different levels and offices, so plan for things to take awhile.
• Consult local and/or internal experts for advice

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4. Rally support from the public / constituents

• In general, politicians are more likely to respond to an issue with action if they hear about it from multiple people, especially constituents who they represent
• At the municipal level, this means contacting the counsellor for your ward / district. Provincially, your representative is a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). Federally, they are a Member of Parliament (MP).
• Public support can be demonstrated in multiple ways:

- Sending letters to politicians

- Signing a petition

- Amplifying on social media

- Showing up for a public demonstration

A Simple Tool for Letter-Writing Campaigns

• Use a Google Form to make it easier for members of the public to send letters to decision makers in support of a cause

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5. Do your homework (and the government’s homework too!)

• Aim to minimize effort required from staff and politicians to support your asks
• Explicitly identify relevant resources like the CSA 2019 Bird Friendly Building Design standard, FLAP Canada
• Identify other municipalities that have already incorporated bird friendly design requirements (e.g. Toronto)
• If possible, submit a report for review that provides an overview of the problem locally and recommendations

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