Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Agri Systems Technology and Education
Non Technical Summary
While birds striking windows is a common occurrence, only in recent years has it been recognized as a leading source of human-caused bird mortality. Mortality due to window strikes can dramatically reduce bird populations that are already under threat from climate change. These losses lead to fewer natural predators of insect pests and increase the need for pesticide use in food production. Available window treatments can be effective but are expensive, difficult to install, and change the appearance of buildings. Birds, unlike humans, can see into the Ultra Violet (UV) spectrum. Ornilux glass was developed with UV markers that are visible to birds but not to humans to decrease strikes while not changing the appearance of the building. This pattern of UV barrier could be produced through lighting rather than film or glass at a lower cost and more easily retrofitted to existing buildings.In order to address the three specific objectives: (1) are Ultra Violet light (UV) emitters a deterrent for bird collisions with windows, (2) what type of emitter and technique is most effective, and (3) would this remain unseen by the human eye, the project is divided into three phases. The first phase in creating and installing impact sensors so the frequency of impacts can be recorded. Second, a year later will be the installation of the UV light emitters. The third phase will be the analysis of the UV emitters. The UV Light emitters will be installed outside the windows directly adjacent so they can be pointed at the windows.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
20%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The goals/objectives are testing the effectiveness of using high-powered UV Light Emitting Diode (LED) arrays to reduce bird strikes into windows. We hypothesize these arrays would create a visual barrier invisible to humans, yet visible to birds. These arrays would be tested at two different sites at Utah State University known for high rates of impacts of birds into the windows. Testing involves setting up impact recording devices and cameras to create a baseline of impacts that would later be compared to the impact rate with the UV emitters in place. Impact measuring equipment will be created and installed from late spring 2020 through Spring 2021. Emitters will be added to these in late spring 2021 through Spring 2022.
Project Methods
The project will involve two Co-Project Leaders. Mark Lee-Koven, MFA, whose expertise is in Lighting arrays, Color/Light Theory and Digital Technologies, and Kimberly Sullivan, Ph.D., an avian biologist. Other senior personal will include Projector Investigator, Ted Evans, Ph.D., insect ecology, and biological control. As Co-Project Leaders, Lee-Koven and Sullivan will work together on the Annual reports while dividing the duties of overseeing other aspects of the project. Regular monthly meetings will be scheduled for the team in the first six months, with Bi-monthly meetings, or more frequently if needed, will be scheduled after this period. Lee-Koven will oversee the designing, building, arrangements, and tuning of the emitter arrays, along with the sensor equipment and their physical installations. As a Co-Project lead, he will also track expenditures and maintain the project's budget. Kimberly Sullivan will oversee the time table determining site conditions, make the final determination of the sites chosen, and also oversee the collection of data from each site. Lee-Koven, Sullivan, and Ted Evans will analyze the effectiveness of the systems in the first and second phases of the project. In these initial stages, Lee-Koven will have oversight of the assembly, testing, and fall of 2021 to the spring of 2022 without UV systems. Patterns have been shown to affect mitigation of different patterns to determine which configurations work best in mitigating the birds striking the windows.We will also try modifications of the impact sensors as needed. Sullivan and Evans will be in charge of data collection and analysis throughout the life of the project. In the final phase of the project, Lee-Koven, Sullivan, and Evans will work on collating the findings, authoring the paper and external grants identified previously.Throughout the project undergraduates will play a crucial role in all stages; from helping build the equipment to collating the data and preparing to present our findings. In this way, they will learn grant writing skills, the various stages of how research is conducted, and the different outlets available in which findings can be presented. We would also mentor students in creating their own Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities grant (URCO). As an example, one of the students involved in collecting and coalescing content for this proposal indicated they would be interested in submitting a URCO grant that looks at how this bird strikes impact human health. The roles of students would include coordinating students for collecting the cached data, check-up, and maintenance of the equipment, and assisting with analysis. The Co-Project Leaders would take responsibility and oversee the training of these individuals and the students enlisted for the project.