Lake Shore Campus welcomes the return of winged visitors

Each year, from mid-August to mid-November, millions of birds travel through the Chicago area for their fall migration south. Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus welcomes a variety a migratory species—from warblers and kinglets to sparrows and native thrushes.  

Unfortunately, Chicago’s urban environment—tall buildings with glass windows and bright lights—presents dangers for these migrating birds. As they travel through the area in spring and fall, thousands of migratory birds are injured or killed each year from building collisions.  

For nearly 15 years, Reuben Keller, professor and graduate program director in the School of Environmental Sustainability, along with the Reverend Stephen Mitten, S.J., has led efforts to track and reduce fatal bird collisions on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus through the Student Operation for Avian Relief (SOAR). The efforts have paid off, allowing the Loyola community to observe and experience the great diversity of migratory birds as they make their journey south through the Mississippi flyway, one of four major avian highways birds take during the fall and spring migration seasons.  

Below, Keller shares actions that students, faculty, and staff can take to both appreciate and protect migratory birds.  

Fall bird-watching  

Birds congregate where they have the best habitat, and thanks to the various native plants and trees on campus, Loyola’s lakeside location provides a welcoming shelter and place to feed, making it a great location for bird-watching.  

During the fall migration season, compared to the spring season, birds are in less of a hurry, no longer nesting or in need of a breeding territory, allowing longer observation periods for bird-watchers.  

“One of the best spots on campus that I have found to watch birds is outside of Piper Hall,” Keller said. “During migration season, you can sit there and have lunch, and by the time you are done eating, the birds will have forgotten that you are a person and will be bouncing around.” 

Not only are birds less urgent during the fall migration, but they are also more muted in color. No longer trying to find a mate, birds replace their colorful plumage with subtle pigments, which can make spotting them more difficult. 

Keller recommends apps that identify birds by appearance and sound, drawing from the user’s location as well as the time of year.  

“If there are five birds in a tree and their songs are going, and I can’t get close enough to see and identify them, apps can help tell with a high degree of surety what birds they are,” Keller said.  

Reducing hazards  

Part of cherishing the great diversity migratory birds on campus is continually evaluating and implementing measures to protect them.  

“These are birds that are flying from maybe Canada down to South America and are an amazing part of our natural history in this area,” Keller said. “The idea that they are getting killed because we are not prepared to pay a little bit extra to make buildings bird-safe is really sad.”  

Keller commends University Facilities for the implementation of simple but significant bird-safety measures over the last decade, including programming the blinds to close at the Information Commons during migration season, as well as applying a dot-patterned film on the glass of the atrium entrance to the Damen Student Center. 

With the ongoing implementation of the Campus Plan, including construction of 1144 West Loyola, the seven-story nursing and sciences education facility, bird safety is top-of-mind. For example, a dot pattern will be etched into the new buildng’s glass so migrating birds can see the hazard, Keller explained. 

(Read more about what Loyola is doing to keep birds safe.)  

Keller also shared actions that everyone on campus can take to alleviate the issue:  

1. Turn the lights out at night.
2. Close blinds overnight until an hour after sunrise during the migration season.
3. Apply window film to the glass, so it may be seen by the birds.
4. Email Keller or contact the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (773-988-1867) if you see a dead bird on campus.

“Bird-watching during migration is captivating because we get a glimpse of these incredible organisms that are traveling thousands of miles,” Keller said. “Many of these birds are tiny, but they can sustain themselves for these incredible journeys. The birds that travel through the Loyola campus connect us to ecosystems as far south as South America and as far north as Alaska. That is very special, and there are no other species that do this.”

Read more stories from the School of Environmental Sustainability.