Birds and windows: article about this issue in North America

[Bruce McKinlay]

Picture windows that enable us to enjoy nature from the comfort of our homes can be deadly to the birds we love to watch. And that's putting it mildly.
 
Ornithologists estimate that in North America alone, 100 million to 1 billion birds a year are killed in collisions with windows or towers, said Laura Erickson, science editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Read more here:

http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/654456.html

[Dave Houston]

It's claimed that in North America windows kill twice as many birds as cats do - see http://www.sibleyguides.com/mortality.htm  These numbers seem astonishing to me, but then again they're dealing with many migratory species. 

Windows aren't the migratory birds only problems.  Buildings, towers and other structure lit up at night also account for quite a few.  In Canada there's an organisation called FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Programme) that runs programmes to try and reduce collisions with both lit up structures and windows - http://www.flap.org/

[Dave Houston]

Each migration season, millions of birds die in cities by crashing into buildings. Now a growing trend toward sustainable design could open the door to safer passage.

Read the story in Audubon magazine

[Dave Houston]

One solution offered is these interesting decals from the US.

www.windowalert.com

Not that window strikes by hummingbirds has been much of a problem here lately