Every autumn, hundreds of millions of European migratory birds fly south to their wintering grounds. During their migration, the birds are exposed to a wide variety of risks. Window panes, which birds cannot recognise, can be a major problem. An estimated 100 million birds die each year in Germany as a result of colliding with them.

The large windows at the university can also be a problem for birds. This year, we have received numerous reports of birds dying after colliding with university windows. The AStA’s climate department is campaigning for a reduction in bird strikes at the university. If you find birds that have (presumably) flown into university windows, please report them to our email address oekologie@asta.uni-goettingen.de. This helps us to quantify the problem for the university and hopefully bring about structural changes.

Silhouettes of birds of prey, which can be seen on some windows, are unfortunately hardly effective. The birds perceive the obstacle, fly around it and often collide with the windows right next to the markings. A simple solution, on the other hand, is dot foil, which can be applied to the window panes and increases the visibility of the windows for birds. Switching off lights at night also reduces the risk of birds colliding with glass panes. Hopefully, this will reduce bird strikes at our university.