28 more carcasses at Duluth Airport

Penny Schwarze, whose discovery of 20 dead birds at the Duluth International Airport windows inspired this project, went back to the airport today. She writes:

I just went out to the airport and, sadly, found more carnage. I quickly counted 28 dead birds under the windows on the east side (arrival side) of the terminal. Here are some pictures - I hope they are helpful (cheap camera...). Is there anything else I can do?

These include 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Palm Warbler, 1 Dark-eyed Junco

2 Palm Warblers and 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Nashville Warbler

Killer window (look beneath!)

Heartbreaking as this is, it's only by reporting all these tragic deaths that we'll be able to raise awareness of this awful issue so we can inspire people to 1) Stop constructing these bird-killing structures in the first place; 2) change killer glass where feasible; 3) get up netting, American Bird Conservancy Bird Tape, or other way of at least reducing the number of kills where changing the glass isn't feasible.

What can Penny, and all of us, do to help? Every time you see a bird killed or injured in a collision in Duluth, Minnesota, please report it. You can post comments to this blog or send as emails to me at chickadee@lauraerickson.com. If you can, photograph the birds, but if not, at least report what species it/they are (if you know--just giving a description is good enough to count), the date, and the place. We won't put in addresses of private residences, but your neighborhood will be worth noting. We're starting with this fall, but have already missed two months of major migration. If you noted a bird collision earlier this season in Duluth, it can be added to our totals.

If you know anyone who works at the airport, or at other Duluth buildings with expanses of glass, ask them to pay attention.

Also, this body of data is open for anyone to use for research or conservation purposes.

This adds to our running total:

8 Yellow-rumped Warblers

3 Palm Warblers

1 Nashville Warbler

1 Dark-eyed Junco

15 Unknown