Birds of Kirkwood

The untold history and legacy of Kirkwood's ornithologist

Hope to action: Make Windows Safer, Day and Night

Part of the ‘Hope to action’ series

The following is mirrored from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds.” I will add some additional localized context and resources below.

The challenge: Up to 1 billion birds are estimated to die each year after hitting windows in the United States and Canada.

The cause: By day, birds perceive reflections in glass as habitat they can fly into. By night, migratory birds drawn in by city lights are at high risk of colliding with buildings.

These simple steps save birds: On the outside of the window, install screens or break up reflections—using film, paint, or Acopian BirdSavers or other string spaced no more than two inches high or four inches wide.

Take it further: Work with businesses or public buildings to offer a contest for creative “window mural” designs that make windows safer for birds. Support legislation for bird-friendly building designs. Start a lights-out campaign in your city.

https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/seven-simple-actions-to-help-birds/

While other sources estimate the window strike mortality number lower (in the range of half of a billion), it is still a staggering toll. I think it’s important to understand that one of the biggest challenges is the impact of light pollution generated by large downtown areas, particularly during fall and spring migration. Birds can become disoriented by reflections in low to mid rise (and to a lesser degree tall) buildings, especially those with significant amounts of glass fenestration. A 2019 study ranked Atlanta as the fourth most dangerous U. S. city during fall migration, and ninth most dangerous during spring migration.

Fall MigrationSpring Migration
1. Chicago1. Chicago
2. Houston2. Houston
3. Dallas3. Dallas
4. Atlanta4. Los Angeles
5. New York5. St. Louis
6. St. Louis6. Minneapolis
7. Minneapolis7. Kansas City
8. Kansas City8. New York
9. Washington, D. C.9. Atlanta
10. Philadelphia10. San Antonio
Most Dangerous Cities for Migrating Birds

In 2021 Audubon shared a story that included a jarring video captured in New York City by photographer Melissa Breyer as she picks up a disturbing number of dead migrants from the sidewalk surrounding the World Trade Center buildings. In an accompanying tweet Breyer includes a photo with the caption “When you have 226 dead window-struck migratory birds from one morning, it’s hard to get them all in one photo.” While difficult to view for a bird lover, Breyer’s “Sad Birding” Instagram feed underscores the scope of the problem. Keep in mind that NYC is ranked fifth dangerous in fall (after Atlanta), and eighth for spring. In 2019 NYC passed legislation to try to minimize the impact by requiring “new construction and major renovations to install materials that are visible to birds, such as dotted patterns, tints, or glazing on glass and windows.” As far as I know there is nothing similar in Atlanta’s current building code.

While the problem is arguably most noticeable in major downtown areas during peak migration dates there are still significant deaths in residential areas. Kyle Horton, the author of the 2019 study referred to above, states the following:

Horton also notes that, because an estimated quarter-million birds die from collisions with houses and residences every year, even homeowners in these most dangerous metro areas for migrating birds can play an important role. “If you don’t need lights on, turn them off,” Horton said. “It’s a large-scale issue, but acting even at the very local scale to reduce lighting can make a difference.”

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/04/chicago-tops-list-most-dangerous-cities-migrating-birds

Georgia Audubon has initiated multiple efforts to help mitigate the impact of window strikes, specifically Project Safe Flight and Lights out Georgia. I strongly encourage any and all readers to follow the guidance they recommend, and to sign the Lights Out Georgia Residential Pledge, which includes the following commitments between March 15 – May 31 and August 15 – November 15, between the hours of midnight and 6 AM:

  • Turn off spot lights and/or decorative lighting during the hours of 12:00 AM (midnight) and 6:00 AM
  • Turn off interior lights when leaving a room
  • Draw blinds/shades if indoor lighting required after midnight
  • Use down-shielded lighting outdoors
  • Where possible, put outdoor lighting on timers and/or motion sensors

If you should have the unfortunate experience of discovering a bird at your residence that is either deceased or stunned near a window, please do the following:

  1. Install one of these commercially available window film products:
    CollidEscape
    Feather Friendly
    Acopian BirdSavers
  2. Try a DIY solution, there are also many other options
  3. If the bird is stunned please follow these recommendations at Wild Nest Bird Rehab.

Additional information and resources:

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