Window Collisions

Why do birds fly into windows:

Birds do not see glass the way humans do. Collisions happen when birds see the reflection of trees or other vegetation, water, clouds, or sky. Perceived vegetation (such as potted plants) on the other side of glass can also cause a bird to collide with a window.

Research published in 2024 reports that an estimated 1 billion birds die annually by colliding with glass in the United States alone. Window collisions are one of the top three threats to wild birds, third only to habitat loss and cats.

Collisions can happen at any time of year and at any time of day, with collisions peaking during spring and fall migration. Many birds that appear fine after colliding with a window may later die from injuries. Birds that fly away often suffer from a concussion, infection, or internal injuries making them susceptible to predation or death. When a parent bird dies from a collision, it’s babies may also die from lack of food. Research reports that an estimated 54-76 percent of window collisions are fatal for the bird.

What You Can Do

If you want a bird-friendly yard, you must first make it safe for birds. Looking at the chart above makes it clear the actions we must take to make our yards safe for birds. The good news is that are easy, effective, and cost-effective solutions available to protect your windows from deadly bird strikes. If you are unsure where to start, we recommend visiting the American Bird Conservancy’s Solutions for Homes webpage for an overview. A more detailed list of over 250 products tested by the American Bird Conservancy, along with effectiveness ratings can be found here.

Resources

Information about Birds, Window Collisions and Window Treatments

An Inside Look: The Science and Solutions for Bird-window Collisions
This is an hour-long YouTube webinar produced by Audubon New York featuring two experts from the American Bird Conservancy.

https://abcbirds.org/blog/truth-about-birds-and-glass-collisions/

https://www.audubon.org/news/reducing-collisions-glass

https://ornithologycenter.com/