Why Are Birds Smashing Into Stevens Institute? Hoboken Dad Says Concerns Are Being Ignored

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Stevens Institute of Technology campus has been building up over the past decade, with gleaming glass buildings rising along the Hoboken waterfront. And apparently, nearly three dozen types of birds have crashed into them.

The student newspaper at Stevens, The Stute, presented a birds-eye view of the problem last Friday by running an interview with Hoboken dad Jeffrey Train, an avid birder who has led nature walks in town.

Train told the Stute that birds have been smashing into Stevens' tall buildings and dying — and that the university hasn't responded to his requests to take simple steps that could help them avoid the plight, such as applying decals to the windows.

Train says, in an interview with Stute Managing Editor Ava Wang, "You can’t let [the birds] die silently. You have to tell the story.”

The article notes, "Train’s encounters with avian biodiversity in Hoboken are remarkable, with documented sightings of 93 unique species. However, this abundance is overshadowed by a troubling statistic: 35 of these species have been found dead on Stevens campus grounds, victims of fatal window strikes."

Wang writes, "The prevalence of glass structures—from Babbio Atrium to the Morton to Peirce sky-bridge, Pierce Dining Hall, and the newly constructed UCC complex—poses a significant threat to bird safety."

In the story, Train says he's particularly concerned about the upcoming migration season from March to June. He is hoping the student body will help him collect data, and to advocate for safety measures.

Hudson County is along the Atlantic Flyway, the birds' route to fly south and north in fall and spring, to breed and eat. The birds may stop in places like the Meadowlands and Liberty State Park.

The story quotes Train as saying he has made "multiple appeals" and presented proposals to the Stevens administration, but his calls have not been returned. He said it would cost as little as $200 to create red "Stevens" or "Go Ducks" decals for windows.

Patch reached out to Stevens for a response.

Stevens Responds

Kara Panzer, the interim public relations director for Stevens, responded this week, "The Stevens student newspaper recently published a summary of an interview with a local resident advocating for bird-friendly building practices to mitigate the unfortunate effects of bird strikes on campus buildings, a common problem posed by modern architecture."

She added, "Stevens leadership responsible for campus buildings are aware of this issue and are investigating cost-effective approaches to address the issue now and in future construction design."

Train plans to speak on campus on March 7 about the issue, the Stute said.

Read the full story in the Stute here.