"The Temple Grandin of birds."
Hi, my name is Heidi, and I research dead birds, the things that kill them, and how to make it stop. I consult, speak, monitor, and apply my passion and knowledge to making the world a safer place for birds.
Starting with a road-killed Indigo Bunting in 1992, my interest in birds - all birds* - has only increased. This pursuit of knowledge has led from Attwater's Prairie Chickens to hawks that eat them, and from wind farms to wildlife rehab. Since 2003, my focus has been largely centered on window collisions and prevention. I started the Facebook group Dead Birds 4 Science! to give people an educational and supportive space to share and discuss their finds that may not have been appropriate in other birding groups.
* this has resulted in working at zoos, Aplomado Falcon hack sites, breeding bird surveys, guiding, blogging - covering topics of live birds, dead birds, injured birds, baby birds, endangered birds, etc.
2003-2005 Illinois permits, specimens sent to UC Santa Cruz
2006-2014 Texas permits, specimens sent to Texas A&M
2015-present permits through the University of Michigan
Articles:
Additional:
The Auk-ward
BigBendNature.com
Dead Birds 4 Science!
Detroit Safe Passage (Project Safe Passage: Great Lakes)
Just Save Birds
Midwest Bird Collisions
Washtenaw Safe Passage (on facebook)
Washtenaw Safe Passage (website)
In order to reach broader audiences, a lighthearted social media approach has been used to both network people who find birds with collections that can accept them, as well as explaining and discussing causes and prevention of bird mortality at a level that makes sense to the public. Tactics range from humor to science and "show-and-tell" type formats, allowing people to process the topic in ways that are not overly depressing.
I currently volunteer on boards or committees of multiple regional conservation nonprofits in the SE Michigan area, including Detroit Audubon, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and the Bird Center of Michigan.
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