Global Bird Rescue, a week that shines the spotlight on the catastrophic toll of window collisions, kicks off on September 22. Through September 28, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) invites everyone to join ABC, FLAP Canada, and countless other bird conservation groups and members of the public around the world to rescue and document wild birds that have collided with buildings during their fall migration.

Each year during the peak of fall migration in North America, billions of birds navigate human-made environments as they fly south to warmer environments with more food sources. Unfortunately, millions will not reach their final destinations due to a fatal collision with a building. 

Fall migration has more building collisions than spring migration for several reasons. Given that most birds have finished breeding, a higher number of birds migrate in the fall. This journey includes both adults and juveniles, whereas during spring migration, only breeding adults make the trip. 

Most birds migrate at night, such as the Indigo Bunting, using the stars to navigate for thousands of miles in a small number of days. Light pollution at night and reflective glass surfaces during the day disorient them. Juvenile birds are less experienced travelers and tend to suffer more challenges, especially in urban areas. When birds see plants or the sky reflected in windows, they do not know there is a barrier and think they can fly through it, then they collide with the glass.

Many people assume birds can cope and fly away right after a collision. However, birds often end up sustaining unseen serious injuries such as bruising, eye ulcers, and fractures that prevent them from continuing their journeys. Recent research has shown that the number of birds that die from collisions each year is much higher than previously thought, numbering more than one billion. The good news is, people can help. Given the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in the U.S. and Canada since 1970, ABC is encouraging the following solutions to help birds survive and thrive.

Preventing Bird Collisions at Home

If a bird has collided with your home, you are not alone! More than one billion birds die each year following window collisions in the United States. The good news is that there are easy solutions to prevent window collisions.

For example, there are many ways to make your own windows bird-friendly. One of the easiest is to use external insect screens. If screens aren't an option, you can use a range of materials — tape, decals, strings, cords, and paint are just a few options — to create window patterns that birds will interpret as solid objects to be avoided. 

Learn more about these home-friendly solutions, and for information about additional effective products that prevent collisions, visit ABC's Glass Collisions Products and Solutions Database.  

How to Design and Legislate Bird-Friendly Buildings

Glass collisions from taller buildings kill vast numbers of wild birds each year. Yet most people know little about this danger, and even fewer are aware of the easy, attractive, and inexpensive solutions available to help prevent these deaths. Whether you want to reduce bird collisions at an existing building, design a new bird-friendly structure, or promote bird-safe building legislation where you live, ABC has top-rated resources available for professionals in facility construction, renovations, operations, maintenance, and real estate development.

For a more in-depth look at bird-safe building legislation solutions, read ABC and the Yale University Law, Ethics and Animals Program's newest report here. 

Common Species that Collide with Windows

Researchers working in several U.S. and Canadian cities actively monitor bird-window collisions, gathering information on frequent-collider species each year. Certain migratory birds, such as the Black-and-white Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, and White-throated Sparrow, appear to be particularly vulnerable to this threat. For a list of species most likely to die from window collisions, learn more here.

What to Do with an Injured Bird

Some common but subtle signs that indicate a bird is injured and in need of medical treatment by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator include the following:

• Allows you to pick it up.
• Cannot stand.
• Is not using both feet.
• Is squinting or shutting its eyes.
• Has open-mouthed or heavy breathing.
• Has puffed up feathers or tucks its head under its wings.

Contact your local wildlife rehab center or visit flap.org for advice on how to further help.

Glass collisions take a staggering toll on birds every year, threatening common and rare species alike. Solving a problem of this size requires big thinking, bold ideas, and collective action. To participate in Global Bird Rescue Week, visit globalbirdrescue.org.

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet's fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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