Fall migration season (September to November) is one of the best seasons to witness birds in abundance, however it can also be one of the deadliest. Light pollution and windows are birds biggest enemies during migration. Lights can disorient birds and not allow them to navigate properly leading to window strikes as birds cannot comprehend glass like we do.
The National Audubon Society estimates anywhere from 300 million to one billion birds die each year due to window strikes. Birds who fly off immediately after strikes also often don’t survive due to internal injuries.
What can you do to help?
The first and most important step to saving birds’ lives is preventive methods. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room, especially at night. This can reduce light pollution that distracts birds during flight. Next is window covers. Window preventatives come in many different forms including reflective films, stickers, cords, and even your own art. Sticking decorative decals or painting murals on your windows can help birds understand that see through objects are, in fact, solid, and help them avoid collisions. Window films and decals are readily available for purchase on many bird conservation sites like American Bird Conservancy and National Audubon Society as well various online retailers. You can also simply close your window shades or blinds which is a simple solution in most homes. Placing bird feeders on your window can also help reduce collision as birds will stop at the feeder instead of flying into the window to pass.
What should I do if I find a bird that may have struck a window?
If you’ve found an injured bird the first step is to observe its behavior and look for any immediately visible injuries like a broken wing, beak, or blood coming from orifices. No matter what type of injury, you should immediately call a wildlife rehabber, but especially if there are extremely visible injuries.
You should never take a bird in on your own unless you are licensed to do so. It’s important to wear gloves or another form of protection like a towel around your hands to prevent disease transfer, especially if the bird has discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth as these are symptoms of viral diseases.
If the bird is found in a high traffic area and not leaving, you should gently pick up the bird with one hand over top of it and one under and place it in a container with a towel and air holes, then move the container somewhere dark with low traffic, safe from predators. Do not attempt to force feed it water or food, as this can worsen its condition.
If the bird is limp and unresponsive, don’t immediately consider it dead. When in shock, birds will not blink or move, and they can also slow their breathing if they feel they’re in danger. The best way to confirm a bird is dead is to check for stiff, unmovable legs. Birds go into rigor mortis within minutes after death. If you can bend and move the bird’s leg with ease, it is likely still alive.
If you cannot bring the bird to a rehabber immediately or they cannot pick it up immediately, you can leave it in the container for 1-2 hours and attempt to release it once it has become responsive and has no visible serious injuries. If the bird does not leave on its own, please continue to try and contact local rehabber.
If you find a possibly hurt bird well away from windows with no visible injuries, the same procedure as above applies. However, it is important to report the bird to US Fish and Wildlife Services as avian flu is spreading among birds and they are trying to track occurrences.
I’ve found a baby bird, what do I do?
Baby animals are often mistakenly identified as injured and taken in by unqualified people who think they’re doing a good thing, but unfortunately they’re not.
If you’ve found a baby bird with little to no feathers, then it’s likely fallen out of its nest. If the baby is not visibly injured, you can pick it up and place it back in its nest which is likely in the tree it was found near. Signs of an active nest include recent bird feces, food matter, and other young. If there is no nest to put it in or you find the same bird kicked out of its nest multiple times, it may be rejected by its parents. If this is the case, it’s best to contact a wildlife rehabber immediately.
If you find a bird with most of its feathers that is not acting strange or injured and is avoiding you, do not attempt to catch it. Fledgling birds are still learning how to be a bird and spend a lot of time on the ground. It may be hard to tell an injured bird and fledgling apart but fledglings will oftentimes fly away but remain in the same area. An injured bird may attempt to fly away but will not exhibit fear of people due to being stunned.
Bird Rehabbers
Below is a list of local bird rehabbers, from closest to campus to farthest.
- Julie Anne Collier – Wingmasters 413-549-8164
- Dell Cullum 631-377-6555
- Sherry Himmelstein, VMD – Spruce Hill Veterinary Clinic 413-782-3183
- Paula Kirkpatrick 413-427-6772 (no migratory birds)
- Dawn Fopp 413-247-4399 (no migratory birds)
- Thomas Ricardi – Birds of Prey Rehab Facility 413-369-4072
- Barbara Skelly – The Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife 413-652-8658 (baby song birds and waterfowl only)
- Eden Curtin – Valley Veterinary Services 413-274-7077 (no migratory birds)
- Michael J. Farrow 508-294-8547
REVIEWED BY: Blaise Paine, Malfoy Kimmel, Jonah Fliegelman
