Migration and Bird-safe Buildings on UofA Campus with Olya Weekley

Registration for this walk is free. 

Trip difficulty: Easy; Walking distance: 1.5 miles, Trip Duration: ~2 hrs, Elevation gain: none, but with chance of slight inclines/declines; Ground condition: sidewalks and some grass. Drinking water and restrooms available. Benches available at periodic intervals around campus. Parking available in 6th St parking garage ($2/hr). Meet in the area between 6th St Garage and the ENR2 Building. Limited to 12 participants.

In honor of the approaching World Migratory Bird Day we invite you to join Tucson Bird Alliance’s Applied Conservation Project Manager, Olya Weekley, to bird the University of Arizona campus while learning about the perils of migration and what Tucson Bird Alliance is doing to help.

Window strikes are a significant source of human caused bird mortality in North America, especially during migration. 365 million to 1 billion birds die from window collisions every year in the US alone. The majority of these strikes happen in low-rise buildings including residential areas. Tucson, like many other cities, is experiencing rapid urbanization causing habitat loss for many species. Now more than ever a large number of birds are found near buildings, which puts them in danger.

Tucson Bird Alliance’s Bird Safe Buildings initiative addresses both residential window strike prevention as well as dangers posed by large commercial buildings. This program creates a safe passage and residency for millions of birds in urban, suburban and rural settings.

Leaders: Olya Weekley and Donito Burgess

Photo Credit: Olya Weekley