Birds and Glass: Reducing Avian Window Strikes
by Grant Pegram
On the nights of October 4th and 5th 2023, thousands of migrating warblers, thrushes, grosbeaks – and a host of other songbirds died due to window strikes in Chicago and all around the Midwest. Bird migration monitoring program BirdCast, run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University – observed the highest migration numbers ever recorded since the project’s implementation, with over 1.1 billion birds migrating overnight on October 6th.
In times such as these, it is paramount to emphasize the effects of light pollution and reflective windows surfaces on migrating birds – and just how large of a threat they pose. In cities like Chicago, several movements have been implemented to help limit these light and reflective-surface related collisions during the height of bird migration season, such as the Bird-Safe Buildings Act introduced within the entire state of Illinois.
The issue of window strikes is not localized to the Midwest or to city high-rise buildings however – injured birds have been spotted outside homes and car dealerships throughout the Flathead Valley. A Yale study comparing bird-safe building design, notes that residences often account for 44 percent of fatal bird collisions but are often exempted from bird-safe building regulations imposed upon commercial buildings. The importance of the homeowner to do their part to protect birds then, is just as important as the motions made by cities and commercial organizations to prevent bird collisions.
There are several easy and cost-effective solutions to help reduce your home’s likelihood of claiming a bird strike victim. The National Audubon society recommends shutting off unnecessary light fixtures outside of the home at night, as well as covering glass with reflection-irruptive patterning. Easy, DIY solutions such as leaving your blinds half closed to disrupt reflections, or using insect screens on the outside of windows nearly eliminates bird collisions.
For more info, follow these American Bird Conservancy or National Audubon links.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-21577-6
https://www.audubon.org/news/more-1000-birds-collided-single-chicago-building-one-night
https://birdcast.info/news/the-first-billion-bird-night-6-7-october-2023/
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