The scale of bird mortality from glass collisions and evidence-based solutions for making buildings and homes safer for birds.
Window strikes cause immense suffering to individual birds — collisions result in concussion, internal hemorrhage, broken wings and beaks, and death. Birds that survive initial impact often die hours or days later from internal injuries. The sheer scale of the problem makes it one of the leading causes of bird mortality caused by human infrastructure, second only to outdoor cats. Solutions exist across a wide range of budgets, from simple DIY patterns applied to glass to specialized bird-safe architectural glass. Individual homeowners, architects, and building managers all have meaningful roles to play. Cities and countries are beginning to adopt bird-safe building standards, recognizing that voluntary approaches have not been sufficient at the scale needed.