Smack! That’s the sound of a bird hitting a window—and you’ve probably heard it often.

Collisions with windows cause millions of bird fatalities every year. But now there’s new hope for birds thanks to scientists at Powdermill Nature Reserve. Listen to Luke DeGroote share his findings from testing bird’s perception of patterned glass in a flight tunnel to collision monitoring in downtown Pittsburgh.  Before the end, you’ll learn how to make your own windows safer for birds.

Luke DeGroote received his MSc. in Natural Resources from Ohio State and B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Since 2012, DeGroote has overseen Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s avian research programs including the operation of Powdermill’s Avian Research Center (www.powdermillarc.org) where he studies songbird migration, avian disease, breeding phenology, and avian perception of glass.  DeGroote aims to promote avian conservation through research, partnerships, and outreach.  DeGroote and his research have been featured on NPR, the Atlantic, Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet, and Audubon Magazine.