Wild Migratory Bird Welfare and Window Strike Prevention

Window strikes kill an estimated 600 million birds annually in the US alone. Simple building modifications can prevent the majority of these deaths and injuries.

Key Facts

An estimated 599 million to 988 million birds die from window strikes in the US each year
Glass is invisible to birds because it reflects sky and vegetation rather than appearing as a barrier
Low-rise buildings cause more bird deaths than skyscrapers due to their prevalence in bird habitat
UV-reflective glass treatments visible to birds but not humans are highly effective deterrents
Simple DIY solutions including tape strips and window films reduce strikes by 50-90%
Migration seasons in spring and fall significantly increase strike mortality as billions of birds travel

Welfare Considerations

Window strikes cause acute traumatic injury — brain hemorrhage, spinal damage, and internal injuries — in hundreds of millions of birds annually. Birds that appear to fly away after a strike often die later from delayed brain injury. The scale of this mortality rivals cats as a human-related bird mortality source. Unlike many wildlife welfare challenges, window strike prevention is accessible to every building owner and renter, with proven solutions ranging from inexpensive DIY options to commercial bird-safe glass products.

What You Can Do

Apply bird-safe window film or tape patterns to windows with frequent strikes
Position bird feeders either within 1 meter of windows or more than 10 meters away
Use exterior window screens or cable systems on large glass facades
Advocate for bird-safe building design requirements in local building codes
Report dead or injured window-strike birds to eBird or local wildlife monitoring programs