Pittsburgh panel to address safety for spring bird migration

Many area residents are eagerly awaiting the spring arrival of migratory birds in the Pittsburgh region.

Local experts will be featured in an online forum Wednesday, offering tips to help keep these feathered friends on a safe flight path.

The free program, presented by the Frick Art & Historical Center, is set for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Topics in the panel discussion will include creative ways to prevent birds from colliding with glass windows and buildings.

Panel participants will include Robert Mulvihill, ornithologist at the National Aviary; Jon Rice, urban bird conservation coordinator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History; and artist Ashley Cecil.

Advance registration is required by visiting www.thefrickpittsburgh.org and selecting “Calendar.”

Tens of thousands of birds passed through the region on a given night in mid-September, as part of the annual fall migration.

According to the Carnegie Museum, it’s estimated that nearly 600 million birds die every year following collisions with buildings in North America. Created in 2014, BirdSafe Pittsburgh researches the causes for these collisions and what can be done to prevent them.

Reflections can trick birds into thinking they are flying into open sky, a tree or other habitat instead of heading into a window.

The BirdSafe program monitors such collisions in the city and surrounding areas. Live birds that have been involved in the mishaps are taken to a rehabilitation center for eventual release, if they survive their injuries.

Birds that have expired are brought to the museum, where they are added to the collection.

Visit birdsafepgh.org for more information.