Birds colliding with glass windows and buildings cause billions of deaths annually - a preventable welfare emergency that simple interventions can address.
Bird strike welfare represents a straightforward welfare problem with straightforward solutions that are rarely implemented at scale. Birds killed by windows die from internal injuries, with some dying immediately and others experiencing prolonged suffering before death. The scale is staggering - in North America alone, residential windows kill hundreds of millions of birds annually. The solutions are well-established and inexpensive: UV-patterned films or decals that birds perceive as barriers, external screens, and modified glass products all dramatically reduce collision rates. The welfare case for mandatory bird-safe glass standards in new buildings is strong.