Threats, Suffering, and What We Can Do
Wild birds face enormous mortality from human-caused threats, much of which involves significant suffering before death. Understanding the scale and nature of these threats allows for targeted welfare interventions.
An estimated 600 million birds die annually from collisions with buildings and windows in North America alone. Many more survive collisions but are stunned and vulnerable to predation or die later from internal injuries. Glass treatments and bird-friendly building design can reduce collisions by 90%+.
Free-ranging cats kill an estimated 1.3-4 billion birds annually in the USA. Many captured birds experience significant suffering before death. Keeping cats indoors eliminates this mortality entirely while improving cat welfare (longer lifespan, reduced disease exposure).
Lead ammunition fragments contaminate carcasses and gut piles left by hunters, poisoning scavenging birds including bald eagles, golden eagles, condors, and ravens. Lead poisoning causes prolonged suffering (neurological damage, paralysis) before death. Non-toxic (copper) ammunition alternatives eliminate this welfare harm.
Pesticides — particularly insecticides and rodenticides — kill large numbers of birds directly and reduce food availability (insect populations) for insectivorous species. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to bird population declines through reduced insect prey availability and direct sublethal effects on bird physiology and behavior.