Bird advocate to present ways to help migrating birds with safer passage

It is not in Krystal Anton’s job description to collect dead birds on the Johnson County Community College campus, but she did it anyway, on her own initiative. At 7 p.m. on Sept. 28, she’ll be at Pittsburg State University presenting ways that residents in this area can help prevent the death of migrating birds with simple steps.

The presentation will be part of the monthly Sperry-Galligar Audubon chapter meeting in 102 Yates Hall, 1702 S. Joplin St., and is free and open to the public.

In 2018, Anton found 287 dead birds, the majority during spring migration. Since then, she has persuaded JCCC to do a few simple things that have cut the mortality rate by almost half.

Thanks to her advocacy, the college participates in the “Lights Out Heartland” project, led by the Missouri Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association. Lights Out Heartland organizations commit to minimize their light pollution, especially in May and September, so as not to disorient migrating birds.

While in Pittsburg, she’ll discuss why birds fly into windows and what other simple measures JCCC has taken — measures that could work in any community — to reduce bird window strikes.

About Sperry-Galligar Audubon

The Sperry-Galligar Audubon chapter has been based at Pitt State since 1999, having been led by professors of biology and named for a pair of married biology professors, Theodore Sperry and Gladys Galligar, who were instrumental in conservation on a national scale. This year’s president is Associate Professor of Biology Andy George.

Additional details: sperry-galligar.com