Center for Wildlife Health Research
Advancing protection of wildlife through innovative research and community engagement.
In a 2024 survey of Maine homeowners, 68% knew of at least 1 bird hitting a window at their home.
86% agreed that if they made their window(s) bird-safe, they would feel proud to show that to others.
54% said they were likely or very likely to make their windows bird-safe within the next 6 months.
"The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention" - John Burroughs
Yet despite the ongoing problem and good intentions, 100% of respondents had not yet done anything.
"Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.” – Abraham Lincoln
Make your intention a reality and prevent window collisions at your home.
Video produced using images and video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, eBird, BirdFlow and BirdCast
Make Your Home Safe for Birds
PREVENT WINDOW COLLISIONS - REQUEST A CONSULTATION
An estimated 1.3 billion birds or more are killed by window collisions in the US each year (1). Most birds that hit a window and fly away or are taken to a wildlife rehabilitator do not make it. The greatest single source of collisions is at private residences (3). Fortunately there are simple, inexpensive and very effective solutions that residents can take to prevent collisions.
PREVENT CAT ATTACKS
Approximately 1 billion birds in the US are killed by cats each year (1). In the US, about 20% of cat owners allow their cat outdoors. Many cat owners worry their cat will be unhappy if kept inside, however with simple solutions to provide for a cat's needs, keeping cats indoors is a win-win-win for birds, cats and owners.
DIM LIGHTS DURING MIGRATION
The rapidly growing problem of light pollution presents significant danger to birds that migrate at night, which account for over half of North American species. Artificial light from both indoor and outdoor sources disorient migrating birds during fall and spring migration (covering a full half of the year) and are a big contributor to fatal window collisions. Fortunately this can be prevented.
References
1. Klem, D., Jr., Saenger, P. G., & Brogle, B. P. (2024). Evidence, consequences, and angle of strike of bird–window collisions. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 136(1), 113–119. https://doi.org/10.1676/23-00045
2. Kornreich A, Partridge D, Youngblood M, Parkins K (2024) Rehabilitation outcomes of bird-building collision victims in the Northeastern United States. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0306362. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306362
3. Scott R. Loss, Tom Will, Sara S. Loss, Peter P. Marra, Bird–building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability, The Condor: Ornithological Applications, Volume 116, Issue 1, 1 February 2014, Pages 8–23, https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.