Saving two birds with one facade: landscape design for urban wildlife habitat and bird-building collision prevention

Abstract

Human-centric design often ignores the importance of ecosystem function. This omission extends beyond the lack of diverse, valuable habitat in urban centers. Regarding bird-window collisions specifically, traditional architectural and landscape design can lead to the inadvertent decimation of species, and greatly impact systems beyond the local scope. This thesis reveals locations on the Rutgers University campuses with high rates of bird-building collisions, and recommends dynamic mitigation approaches dependent on such characteristics present at each site. Window reflectivity, lighting, spatial patterns, vegetation placement, and much more can be attributed to such collisions. At priority intervention sites, Dana Library in Newark and Nelson Biology Laboratories in New Brunswick, a second-story overhang and a multi-story glass-enclosed walkway are additional features hypothesized to be contributing to collisions at the site level. At both sites a façade is proposed, primarily for its potential use as a buffer to window glass. The seasonality and dietary needs of nine species most disproportionately affected across the campuses modeled approaches in vegetation selection. Rutgers contributes significantly to this global issue, and should look to examples of other universities to create a bird-friendly campus.M.L.A.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vit