Up to one billion birds die annually from window strikes in the United States alone. Simple, effective solutions significantly reduce this preventable source of wild bird suffering and mortality.
Window strikes cause acute traumatic injury that results in immediate death or a period of disorientation, internal bleeding, and neurological impairment that may last hours to days before death. Stunned birds that survive the initial impact are vulnerable to predation, exposure, and secondary injury while incapacitated. The scale of this mortality — approaching one billion birds annually in the US — makes window strikes one of the largest sources of anthropogenic bird mortality, yet it is also one of the most tractable. Effective solutions exist, are inexpensive, and require only the willingness of building owners and residents to apply them. A brief investment in deterrent solutions at strike-prone windows can prevent dozens of bird deaths per year per household.