Hangover bird count – New Year’s count of dead birds
New Year’s Eve fireworks may prevent many birds from surviving to see the New Year. The Glass Traps Foundation wants to check the scale of this phenomenon in the study “Hangover bird count – New Year’s count of dead birds”. It invites all interested parties to take part in two walks around their neighborhood.
As part of the study “Hangover bird count – New Year’s count of dead birds”, the Szklane Trałapki Foundation wants to assess the impact of New Year’s Eve fireworks on bird mortality.
“Firecrackers and fireworks scare birds, which run away and hit trees and buildings and die. However, it is not known how often and in what environments. We want to check it, and your participation can help us,” the organizers write.
Hangover bird count – how to participate?
To take part in the study, you must go for two walks – each study participant chooses the walking route freely. It can be a city, a village, a park, a forest, etc. One of the walks should take place on January 1, 2021, and the other one, in order to be able to compare the results – if possible along the same route – on another day (until December 30, 2020 or between January 5 and 15). It should be light then (between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.).
During the walk, any dead birds observed (e.g. on lawns or in front of apartment blocks) should be recorded. If possible, you should also mark the species of the dead bird and indicate how many kilometers you walked (using an application that counts steps or measuring the distance on a map).
After returning from the walk, please complete a short survey bit.ly/HangoverBirdCount
The days of January 2-5 are excluded from the research, because then birds that died on New Year’s Eve may still remain in the field. The results of the follow-up examination will therefore not be representative.
The organizers encourage the walks to be as long as possible and not to return to the starting point along the same route.
What to do with a dead bird?
“Do not touch or pick up dead birds. If you see injured birds or birds requiring help, contact the nearest wild animal center (the list can be found on the website of the General Directorate for Environmental Protection),” the organizers appeal.
Details of the study “Hangover bird count – New Year’s count of dead birds” are available on the foundation’s website https://szklanepulapki.pl/aktualnosci/hangover-bird-count-noworożroczenia-martwych-ptakow/
On a daily basis, the Glass Traps Foundation deals with, among others: the issue of bird mortality resulting from collisions with glass surfaces – shelters, acoustic screens, glass facades of buildings, windows. It collects information about such collisions and provides information on how to prevent them.
