Window strikes kill an estimated 600 million birds annually in the USA alone, and simple preventive measures can dramatically reduce this toll.
Window strikes cause immediate death in approximately half of cases; survivors often suffer concussion, internal injuries and die hours or days later. The scale of the problem is vast — billions of birds globally die from glass collisions annually. The welfare harm is particularly significant because it is so easily preventable. Applying external window film, UV-treated glass or pattern markings that disrupt reflection costs little and saves bird lives immediately. Birds that strike windows and survive should be placed in a dark, quiet box for an hour and released in a safe location away from glass if they recover.