Date: 10/3/26 11:37 am From: Thomas Labedz via groups.io <telabedz...> Subject: Re: [NEBirds] window strike victims UNL campus
Campus Birders and others,
In the June 2020 Nebraska Bird Review I summarized window mortalities of 87
bird species on the UNL city campus. The paper is available on Digital
Commons (link below).
Over my many years at UNL I found it very, very difficult to get any but
the lowest levels of admin to even acknowledge there is a problem. There is
a transient population (students) on campus and I think the admin knows if
they can postpone action long enough the noisemakers will be gone. In my
paper I go building by building with descriptions of what is going on. This
situation is not unique to UNL, it occurs everywhere in the world, is
documented in many places, continues to be documented, and has likely
happened as far back as humans putting windows in buildings. My only
success, and I'm not really sure it wasn't already in play, was when I
suggested bird-safe glass on the new engineering building at 17th & Vine
and the engineering link to Nebraska Hall. Unfortunately, that glass was
installed only at second floor and up levels. The ground floor was left
with standard glass, fatal glass. While engineering was using bird-safe
glass, athletics was not when building at the same time. I was finding dead
birds before that construction was completed. A past impediment to getting
better designs was the arrogance of architects who didn't want anyone
interfering with their artistic creativity. Also, biology, ecology, and
many natural science classes are not required by architecture programs.
Thankfully, over the years, that has changed and research into bird-safe
glass has advanced enormously. There is no reason bird-safe glass can't be
considered for glass facades on buildings. That includes the upcoming
renovations of that great temple on campus, the temple where many Nebraskan
go to worship seven or eight times a year and seem very willing to
contribute a tithe. The athletic department seems to have deep pockets and
will likely only do what maximizes its profits. But yes, apply pressure.
I have dissected and prepared research specimens from over 1000 window
strike birds. Here is what happens as they die. NO, there are no broken
necks. Yes, there is severe concussion and interna-cranial brain bleeding.
Light hits that leave the birds active and alert likely will recover, that
is unless the campus cats get them first (they encourage campus cats with
feeding stations, but that's another bird death story). More severe hits
that do not kill the birds, birds leaning to one side, swollen eye(s),
unable to stand, or otherwise debilitated are likely undergoing a brain
bleed that is putting pressure on the brain. These likely will not survive
on their own, the pressure will continue to build until neural function
ceases. These likely will not do well in captive care either. But I am not
a veterinarian. This is a spectrum of injury and I think swamping wildlife
care facilities might increase pressure to change windows and reduce the
mortality. Really severe hits result in broken beaks, fractured skulls,
broken coracoids and sternum, and sometimes dislodged internal organs. Even
in these severe hits the neck does not break, it is held in an S shape in
flight and flexes with the impact.
I'm not great at using social media, but think it might help in gaining
awareness. As might linking with campus organizations at other schools to
bring collective pressure to the architects and construction companies. UNL
has administrative offices that approve and supervise construction on
campus. By isn't bird-safe glass required on all new and remodel work on
all campuses?
Thomas Labedz, Lincoln
PS - That yellow rail would have been a lifer for me, but not how I want to
see one.
On Sat, Oct 3, 2026 at 10:31 AM Moni via groups.io <musasz=
<neb.rr.com...> wrote:
> Horrible news from Memorial Stadium. Thanks for documenting it. Very
> important first step.
>
> Some other thoughts regarding getting the word out and changing light use
> on campus.
>
> How about getting those photos out on social media, including where they
> were killed. Make sure to include FB for the older folks.:) Would be good
> if we could figure out what to ask people to do??
>
> Sustain UNL is a campus group that had several students working on this
> issue last year. Might check with them. Write a letter and send it as a
> letter to the editor to the Daily Nebraskan and the Lincoln Journal-Star.
> I know that’s old school but old people still read the paper.
>
> Make an appointment with the AD. Talk to Matt Rhule. Research other
> campuses. There might be some great examples of lighting stadiums without
> harming migrating birds. It would take a group of us to do all these
> things. But who better than birders to do it. Count me in.
>
> Moni
>
> p.s. If I could get the photos and the list, I could send this on to
> Sustain UNL. I know at least one young woman there.
>
> On Oct 3, 2026, at 7:54 AM, flyingcarlini via groups.io <flyingcarlini=
> <yahoo.com...> wrote:
>
> Thanks Tobin and Brody for the reply and a huge thanks to everyone who is
> documenting this grim situation and attempting to mitigate it! It's
> shocking that 40 victim compilation pic is from a single building! Perhaps
> a story in the Daily Nebraskan featuring Ian's eye-opening pics would help
> to raise awareness for this plight and desperately needed action? Lincoln
> probably should join the national Lights Out campaign for nights with high
> migration numbers predicted on Birdcast as the night with this mass
> mortality event was.
>
> -Shari Schwartz & John Carlini, Lincoln
>
>
>
>
>
