Mitigating collision-caused bird mortality through message framing: Insights from residents' intentions for bird-safe windows

Efforts to change human behavior for the benefit of biodiversity often rely on the dissemination of scientific information about biodiversity loss to nonscientific publics. This approach to science communication, known as the knowledge deficit model, is often insufficient for changing behavior. Recent trends reveal a rise in the use of message framing as an alternative method of communication. To address biodiversity loss caused by bird-window collisions, we use experimental survey design to compare the effect of deficit model messaging and four message frames (efficacy, emotional, moral, normative) on residents' intentions to adopt bird-safe windows, while accounting for other potentially influential cognitive and contextual factors. Data from a sample of bird enthusiasts ( n = 2854) and the general public ( n = 2054) in the United States and Canada indicate efficacy and emotional message frames were the most effective for bird enthusiasts and the general public, respectively. Prior experience with collisions, perceived impact of collision prevention, centrality of birding, educational attainment, and mutualist wildlife value orientations were also positively associated with respondents' intention to adopt bird-safe windows. Normative message frames, age, identification as male, residency in the U.S., and domination wildlife value orientations were negatively associated with adoption intention. Beliefs about collision prevention, centrality of birding, age, education, and wildlife value orientations also had similar associations with respondents' intention to encourage others to make their windows bird-safe. Results provide important insights for the mitigation of collision-caused bird mortality through evidence-based message framing, and the actions people are willing to take on behalf of birds and biodiversity. • Experimental survey measures residents' behavior intentions for bird-safe windows. • Efficacy and emotion-framed messages increase intentions for bird-safe windows. • Normative messages have negative or negligible effects on residents' intentions. • Effects of message framing differ among different groups of residents. • Evidence-based communication is needed for mitigation of bird-window collisions.