Abstract Collisions with windows are a leading cause of bird mortality. Numerous bird–window collision deterrents have been developed, yet little is known about people’s willingness to adopt bird-safe windows. We examined people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for bird-safe windows at their home and the perceived importance of numerous collision deterrent attributes, including cost. Using experimental survey design with multiple valuation methods, we sampled bird enthusiasts (n = 2,854) and the general public (n = 2,054) in the United States and Canada. Results indicate that bird enthusiasts and the general public both perceive cost as the most important factor influencing their adoption of bird-safe windows. However, 75% of respondents in our bird enthusiast sample and 52% of respondents in our general public sample were willing to pay for collision deterrents at their home. Depending on how WTP was measured, the average amount that bird enthusiasts and the general public were willing to pay ranged from 55.65–70.50 USD per square meter to 46.72–77.82 USD per square meter, respectively. For bird enthusiasts, a higher WTP was associated with greater perceived impact of collision deterrents, an intention to adopt bird-safe windows, and higher income. General public respondents who identified as a birder, had observed collisions in the past, or expressed an intention to adopt bird-safe windows also reported a higher WTP. Collectively, results indicate perceived cost may be the greatest barrier to people’s adoption of bird-safe windows. However, the average cost of many collision deterrents (20.70 USD per square meter) is notably lower than the average price our respondents would be willing to pay, suggesting collision prevention may be more affordable than many people perceive. The gap in perceived versus actual cost of collision deterrents revealed an important opportunity for enhanced communication and potential promise for actual purchasing behavior across different audiences to protect birds.
Abstract Many studies have examined the response of colonial bird species to habitat restoration, but fewer have investigated the effects on solitary nesters, such as plovers. We assessed the duration of restoration benefits to Anarhynchus wilsonia (Wilson’s Plover) by comparing changes in population size and demographic rates over time from 2017 to 2023 at 2 sites restored in 2017 and one non-restored beach area along the U.S. Gulf Coast. We conducted breeding bird surveys to obtain counts of marked and unmarked adults and to track nest fates. We used a Jolly-Seber mark-recapture model integrated with a binomial count model to estimate annual population size, survival, and average breeding tenure jointly, and we used logistic-exposure models to estimate daily nest survival at each site. We used aerial imagery to extract metrics of sand and vegetation cover and interspersion at each site and year. Anarhynchus wilsonia population size increased by 32–396% and apparent survival increased by 10–16% over a 2- to 4-yr period at the restoration sites, with no changes in population size or apparent survival at the unrestored site. These increases were then followed by declines of 22–61% over the course of 2–3 years. Breeding tenure ranged from 3.0 yr (95% Bayesian credible interval [BCI]: 2.9–3.1) to 3.9 yr (95% BCI: 3.6–4.1) at the restoration sites and was 3.5 yr (95% BCI: 3.1–4.0) at the unrestored site. Apparent survival was negatively correlated with metrics of habitat homogeneity. Our study demonstrates that habitat restoration can lead to increases in population size and apparent survival for A. wilsonia, especially in the absence of mammalian predators, but follow-up management to increase habitat heterogeneity may be needed 2–4 years post-restoration to prevent a decline in return rates and population size. These population responses appear to reflect changes in adult survival and return rates that are unrelated to nest survival.
Abstract Rising global energy demand has accelerated the expansion of energy infrastructure into remaining wildlife habitats, with pronounced effects in the North American Great Plains. In mixed-grass prairie ecosystems, energy extraction creates fragmentation, noise pollution, and anthropogenic disturbances that alter habitat structure and impact fitness outcomes for native species. To evaluate these impacts, we analyzed a decade-long dataset on Ictinia mississippiensis (Mississippi Kite) breeding at Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area in northwestern Oklahoma, USA. Nest data were collected during systematic surveys conducted across 5 breeding seasons (May–September) in 2013–2016, 2021–2022, and 2024, and we assessed the influence of energy-related and habitat covariates on daily nest survival rate and annual reproductive output using known-fate logistic exposure models within a Bayesian framework. At the fine scale, daily nest survival rate increased with nest height and the number of trees surrounding the nesting tree but declined as the breeding season progressed (Julian date). At the landscape scale, both daily nest survival rate and annual reproductive output increased with greater distance from roads and active oil wells, whereas they declined with increasing oil pad area. Apparent nest success also increased with distance from oil pads, and successful nests were located, on average, 943 m from oil pads, compared with 368 m for failed nests. These results demonstrate that the ecological effects of energy development could extend across multiple spatial scales and interact with habitat features that are critical for successful I. mississippiensis reproduction, highlighting the broad consequences of human-driven disturbances for avian population dynamics in North American prairies.
Abstract Students and scientists who are deaf, Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing (henceforth DDBHH) are underrepresented in the sciences including ornithology. Hearing ornithologists lack understanding of the barriers to participation for DDBHH students and scientists in their field. At the 2023 American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting held in London, Ontario, Canada, the authors hosted and participated in a panel of DDBHH students and scientists to share their perspectives on birding and ornithology. The panel focused on how DDBHH scientists conduct birding, ornithological research and fieldwork, barriers to professional opportunities, and how to improve access to such opportunities. We provide recommendations to improve access for DDBHH colleagues and students in ornithology and other STEM fields focused on thoughtful, effective allyship through three key steps.
Abstract Recent evidence identifies illegal shooting as a leading cause of raptor mortality, particularly among Aquila chrysaetos (Golden Eagle) in the western United States. As ranchers share spaces and resources with raptors, their experiences, beliefs, and actions can inform efforts to understand and mitigate this persecution. Through inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 38 ranchers in the western U.S. in 2021–2022, we identified 3 interrelated themes that indicate raptors are perceived as (1) a unique challenge to operations that (2) can encroach on ranchers’ ability to self-determine their lifestyle and livelihood, which (3) enables the justification of certain levels of persecution. Across themes, ambivalence toward raptors and their persecution, and trade-offs made between livelihood and stewardship, were observed as latent influences on people’s interactions with raptors, persecution, and management agencies. While specific to the western U.S., our findings align with existing research on human-raptor interactions and parallel findings from the broader human–wildlife coexistence literature. Our study reinforces the notion that individual and collective views of raptors, alongside sociopolitical constraints associated with their management, are central to human–raptor interactions and their outcomes.
