Window strikes kill hundreds of millions of birds annually worldwide. Simple, proven interventions can prevent the majority of strikes and the suffering they cause.
Window strikes cause acute trauma injuries including beak fractures, spinal injuries, internal hemorrhage and concussion. Birds found stunned below windows may appear to recover and fly off but die later from internal injuries or delayed concussion effects. The suffering involved in impact and subsequent recovery or death is real and significant. The scale of mortality - hundreds of millions of birds annually - makes window strikes one of the largest direct human causes of wild bird death globally. The majority of strikes are preventable through simple and relatively inexpensive interventions. The failure to implement these interventions reflects lack of awareness rather than technical or financial barriers, making education and advocacy particularly effective approaches.