City skylines defined by shimmering glass towers can be beautiful, but they can also be deadly to birds lost in the sunny reflections of the glass. The same is true in cottage country, when a big bay window reflecting the forest can play tricks on birds.
According to FLAP Canada, ornithologists can now identify collisions with human-built structures to be a leading cause of death for birds in North America. Every year, approximately 25 million birds fatally collide into the windows of homes, offices, stores, cottages and buildings in Canada. During National Wildlife Week (April 7 – 13) CWF encourages you to take action during our Bird Impact Reduction Day (B.I.R.D.) initiative, a day designed to raise awareness of the problem of bird/ building collisions and to share ways we can all help reverse this threat to our winged species.
You can take your own simple steps throughout the year to help reduce bird collisions with windows. Windows can deceive birds, reflecting trees or skies or even tempting them with indoor plants seen through clean, clear glass. Whether you live in a detached home, a semi, an apartment, a condo or townhome, you can help reduce bird collisions by making all your windows more visible to birds. Installing visual cues or markers on the glass helps alert them to the presence of glass barriers.
Birds that don’t die on impact can be injured, becoming easy prey for predators. Do your part to help keep birds safe.
