How glass building facades cause hundreds of millions of bird deaths annually and the simple design solutions that can dramatically reduce this toll.
Window strike deaths are not instantaneous in many cases - birds suffer concussion, internal injuries, and disorientation before dying. Many birds appear to recover briefly only to die later from delayed internal bleeding. The scale of mortality is ecologically significant, falling disproportionately on migratory species already under pressure from habitat loss. The solutions are available and increasingly cost-effective. Building designers, urban planners, and building owners all have the ability to dramatically reduce this source of wildlife suffering.