I’ve had the unpleasant experience of finding dead birds under windows several times in my life. 

Whether at home, work or elsewhere, it’s always a sad sight to see a lifeless bird that has struck a window and become a statistic. It is estimated that more than a billion birds die each year in window collisions. That’s a billion with a b, as my dad used to say.

It’s even more horrific if you think about the bird’s final moment. One second, the bird is migrating, searching for food, fleeing from a predator, or simply going from point A to point B, and the next second, it’s dead on the ground. That’s if the bird is “lucky.” The unlucky ones are the ones that strike the window, fall to the ground and die painfully and slowly. 

Of course, the ones that are really lucky are the ones that are just stunned and recover after a few moments. The somewhat lucky bird is the one that breaks a wing or leg and can be rehabilitated, assuming, of course, that a kind-hearted human takes the time and effort to bring it to a wildlife rehabilitator. A bird that strikes a window and breaks its neck has virtually no chance of survival.

One building at my work was a death trap for birds. One side is completely glass from floor to ceiling and perfectly reflects the nearby woods. I dreaded walking around that side of the building during migration periods because I never knew what I was going to find on the sidewalk. One fall, I found lifeless hermit thrushes on back-to-back mornings. Eventually, I convinced the building owner to apply stickers to the outside of the windows, and the bird collisions basically stopped.

I was happy the other day to receive a press release from the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance, a coalition of dozens of agencies and conservation groups. The coalition formed in 2024 and includes several of the big players in the bird conservation world, such as Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The press release dispels a common misconception that I had before I read it. I always assumed that skyscrapers accounted for the majority of bird strikes. According to the release, “44 percent of deadly window strikes occur at residences 1–3 stories high; 56 percent at lowrises up to 11 stories; and less than 1 percent at highrises with 12 stories or more.

Skyscrapers in big cities are often the scapegoat when the topic of bird collisions comes up, but apparently, it’s the homes and smaller buildings that cause most of the damage. The main reason for this is that most songbirds hunt (and generally live their lives) below the treeline. Skyscrapers are a problem mostly for migrating birds, which fly high and are often disoriented by the lights of the skyscrapers at night.

The main purpose of the press release was to share tips on how homeowners can prevent or reduce bird collisions with windows. The keys, the release says, are to make glass more visible to birds by treating the outside of the windows and to reduce lighting at night. The tips include: installing bird-friendly window products such as Feather Friendly Film or Acopian BirdSavers, hanging paracord outside the window (spaced four inches apart), adding exterior window screens, installing external solar shades or blinds, and turning off nonessential indoor and outdoor lights. 

More information may be found at stopbirdcollisions.org.

Spring migration is underway, and billions of birds are making their way northward. Now is a good time to think about giving the birds a hand and taking some steps to minimize the number of birds killed by window strikes. Sure, birds face a myriad of challenges on their perilous migration journey, but every little bit helps. We can all do our part. 

Edit to show types of window stickers:

From the release: “We’re excited to share DIY solutions that anyone can tackle in a weekend,” said Cady Netland, birdsafe coordinator at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Whether kid-friendly painting projects, bird friendly window film, or BirdSavers made with paracord, these projects will help save birds from deadly collisions with windows.” 

Also, many more options here: https://www.google.com/search?q=stickers+for+windows+to+prevent+bird+strikes&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1045US1045&oq=bird+stickers+to+p&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgHEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjINCAcQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAgQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAkQABiGAxiABBiKBdIBCDYxOTBqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8