Wildlife

Wild Bird Window Strike Prevention

The scale of bird mortality from window strikes and evidence-based approaches to making glass safer for birds.

Key Facts

Window strikes kill an estimated 100-980 million birds annually in the US alone
Birds cannot perceive glass as a barrier, especially at speed
Patterned glass that reflects UV light is visible to birds but not humans
External screens, films, and decals reduce collision rates by up to 90%
Corner windows and large glass expanses are highest risk
Reflective glass in natural settings causes more bird strikes than clear glass

Welfare Considerations

Window strikes cause direct trauma, suffering, and death for individual birds. Many survivors suffer concussions with delayed mortality. The scale of the problem makes it one of the most significant human-caused sources of direct bird suffering.

What You Can Do

Apply bird-safe film or patterns to your windows
Advocate for bird-safe glass in building codes and planning regulations
Report window strikes to citizen science databases to map high-risk sites