Migrating songbirds need your help in the Pittsburgh area.

Last spring while traveling north, this wood thrush found himself in a hall of mirrors … and he hit one … a window in Downtown Pittsburgh.  Fortunately his stunned body was found by a BirdSafe Pittsburgh volunteer who kept him safe and quiet until he recovered.  In this photo he was about to be released at Allegheny Cemetery by Matt Webb.

Fall migration is underway and nighttime migrants are again lured to our city lights and vulnerable to window kills. Each year up to 1 billion birds die by hitting windows in the U.S.  BirdSafe Pittsburgh is ramping up to rescue ours. They need your help.

Across North America BirdSafe projects mobilize volunteers to walk city routes at dawn, looking for stunned or dead birds.  Stunned birds are rescued. All birds are counted.  Last spring the Pittsburgh project confirmed what other cities know:  that wood thrushes and ovenbirds are the most vulnerable to window kills.

This fall the focus will still be on Downtown but program coordinator Matt Webb says you can create your own route near your home or office if you wish.  48% of collisions happen on residential structures so it’s just as important to collect data in a residential area. Contact Matt at birdsafepgh@gmail.com or call (412)53-AVIAN if you want to explore this option.

Better yet, learn what to do and get some hands on experience at the kick-off walk this Sunday, September 7 at 6:00am at PPG Plaza.  Click here for directions and PPG parking garage information or use on-street parking for free until 8:00am.

For more information, contact Matt Webb at birdsafepgh@gmail.com or (412)53-AVIAN.

(photo of rescued wood thrush by Matt Web)