Wildlife

Wild Bird Window Strike Prevention

Glass windows kill hundreds of millions of birds annually in North America alone, making bird-safe building design an important conservation and welfare issue.

Key Facts

Up to one billion birds die from window strikes in the US each year
Birds cannot perceive glass as a barrier
Reflective glass and interior plants seen through windows are major hazards
Bird-safe films and patterns applied to glass reduce strikes by up to 90%
Migration seasons concentrate strike risk as birds move through new areas

Welfare Considerations

Window collisions cause traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding, and broken necks in birds that strike glass. Many birds die immediately while others survive for hours in pain before succumbing. Prevention is straightforward and inexpensive: applying visual markers to glass at 5-10cm intervals breaks up the reflective surface and allows birds to perceive the barrier.

What You Can Do

Apply bird-safe film or tape patterns to home windows
Use exterior screens or netting during migration seasons
Support building codes requiring bird-safe glass in new construction
Report strikes to eBird or local bird conservation groups to document the problem