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| Find out how to help bluejays and other birds. |
By Angela Moxley
You can help narrow the window of opportunity for bird strikes—and give birds who do fall victim to glass deception a second chance
Nature lovers who want to protect birds around their homes and offices can take simple steps to drastically reduce, if not eliminate, window strikes. Ornithologist Daniel Klem says any type of window decal will work—including ones in the shapes of circles, diamonds, or predators like hawks or falcons—as long as the decals are evenly spaced and separated by no more than 4 inches. The most common mistake people make, Klem says, is not using enough: "It's a false sense of being helpful to put one silhouette on. It's ineffective."
Efforts to manufacture and popularize bird-safe glass have been stymied by people's aversion to its darkened and less aesthetically pleasing appearance. But everyday window modifications such as screens and awnings can help prevent collisions. At The HSUS's national headquarters in Maryland, a window film etched with closely spaced circles that are only noticeable inside from a close distance, along with reflective streamers called Irri-Tape (again, spaced no more than 4 inches apart), have both reduced collisions.
Klem has found that birds of any age, gender, and resident status will strike glass during all seasons, times of day, and kinds of weather. Not even the size of the glass matters, Klem says; small garage window panes are just as dangerous as huge glass buildings. More important are factors such as lighting, internal and external vegetation, and landscaping—such as an aisle that's bordered by shrubs, creating a flight path that ushers a bird into a window. Klem's research has shown that bird feeders should be located fewer than 3 feet from windows to prevent fatal strikes. If they're any farther away, the birds can pick up enough speed to kill themselves.
If you come across a bird injured by a window strike, be cautious; just the stress of human handling can send the animal into further shock. Laura Simon, field director for The HSUS's Urban Wildlife Program, advises callers to the program's wildlife hotline to let a seemingly uninjured bird sit on the ground to recover for an hour or two (beneath an overturned laundry basket if predators like cats and dogs are around). If the bird starts fluttering sooner, she tells the caller to remove the basket and see if the bird flies off.
Only if the bird doesn't fly away or shows signs of injury—blood, panting, holding one wing differently than the other, broken bones, difficulty standing, crooked flight, or head bobbing or twitching—should he be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Simon advises lining a cardboard box with a flannel shirt (stringier fabric or wool can trap a bird's claws), then temporarily covering the bird's head with a shirt or piece of fabric to lower his stress, scooping him up, and placing him in the box. Use a window screen as a ventilated cover or, before you put the bird in the box, punch holes in the cardboard top. (You can also use an unwaxed brown paper bag to contain and transport the bird.) In the car, minimize the bird's stress by keeping noise to a minimum and not handling the bird.
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| Bird feeder placement matters. |
Cindy Traisi, assistant manager of The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Ramona, Calif.—operated in partnership with The HSUS—says people's first instinct to feed an injured bird is dangerous. Forced feeding can lead to aspiration pneumonia, which can kill birds more quickly than their injuries. "If you're hit by a car and you're lying there bleeding," Traisi says, "the last thing you want is somebody shoving a peanut butter sandwich down your throat. And it's the same thing with these guys. The last thing they need to do is eat or drink."
Traisi recalls a red-tailed hawk who spent nearly two months recuperating from severe head injuries she'd suffered after colliding with a downtown office building. When she first arrived, she couldn't even stand. Under the staff's care, the hawk gradually regained her footing and coordination until she could be moved to the center's outdoor flight cage, where eventually she gathered enough strength to be returned to the wild.
"It's been a long struggle for her, but because she showed that little glimmer of hope, we give her every chance we can," Traisi says. "She did not prove us wrong."
For more information on helping injured wildlife and finding a licensed rehabilitator, visit humanesociety.org/injuredwildlife.
