Birds may appear to survive a collision, only to fly off and die elsewhere.

Window collisions cause serious injuries

A bird that strikes glass may not be killed outright, but the injuries sustained may yet prove fatal unless the bird receives prompt and appropriate care. If you find a bird that has survived a window collision, please give it a better chance of survival by calling one of the organizations listed above and getting the bird into care as soon as possible.

How to contain a bird

An injured bird will do best in a dark, quiet space. An unwaxed paper bag with a flat bottom works well. Fold the opening down and secure with a paper clip or staple. You can also use a cardboard box with the flaps closed and loosely secured with string or rubber bands. The bird will be more comfortable if it has something to hold on to with its feet, so a sheet of unscented toilet paper may be placed inside the bag or box. Once the bird is contained, it is best to refrain from opening the box or bag again. Please do not attempt to give the bird anything to eat or drink.  

Common injuries caused by window collisions

Imagine crashing into a solid wall, face first, at 40 kilometres per hour. Broken bones, head and spinal trauma and internal bleeding are just some of the injuries frequently seen in window collision victims. The impact with glass often causes abrasions in birds' eyes -- these may become infected ulcers, causing impaired vision and perhaps eventually blindness. Obviously, a bird that cannot fly or see properly will not survive for long in the wild, even if a surge of adrenaline enables it to fly away from the site of a collision (causing a human onlooker to think it was okay).

In the book Solid Air: Invisible Killer -- Saving Billions of Birds from Windows, Daniel Klem Jr. writes of a bird he kept in captivity after it had collided with a window (please note that, in most jurisdictions, this is illegal unless you have a special permit). Although it had initially seemed to shake off the collision, over several subsequent weeks the bird exhibited signs of creeping paralysis, until it finally died. 

Wildlife Rehabilitation

The road to recovery for window-collision victims can be long and hard. Some birds even exhibit signs of depression. Injuries take time and care to heal, and a bird must regain its complete ability to fly if it is to continue its migratory journey or even simply feed itself. Fortunately, wildlife rehabilitators have developed techniques and treatments for getting our window collision victims back into the skies. Watch the videos below to see how the excellent staff at ACRES nurse injured birds back to health!

Prevent further bird-window collisions with these methods.