De-Horrifying Birds

It’s a quiet, blue-sky day. A woman sits down on a bench outside of a school with her back to a playground. Grassy fields and trees surround her and the school. A bird lands on the jungle gym. The female pays no attention to the bird, minding her own business. Another bird lands. Then another and another... Thud!

A bird smacks into a window.

It’s not the people who are in trouble here. It’s the birds.  

What are bird strikes?  

A bird strike, also known as a window strike, is when a bird flies into a window. Birds are unable to see glass, and they do not perceive them to be barriers, often mistaking reflections for an open sky or habitat.

Anywhere there are windows reflecting nearby trees there is a likelihood of bird strikes occurring. Most collisions – 56% – happen with low-rise buildings, structures less than three stories tall, covered in glass. But bird strikes can happen in residential areas too. In fact, roughly 44% occur in urban and rural residences.  

When birds migrate, they are guided by the brightest light in the sky. Naturally, this would be the sun, stars and moon. Sometimes, however, artificial lights outshine the night skies and birds end up within the barriers of human development. While their goal is to reach their habitat, reflective glass near green spaces trick birds by mirroring the sky and vegetation, leading them in the wrong direction.

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Azalia Rodríguez/Defenders of Wildlife

Why are bird strikes scary?  

Roughly 70% of bird strikes are fatal, with an estimated one billion bird deaths occurring annually in the United States from collisions with buildings and structures. Much of the remaining 30% result in an injured bird that will likely succumb to predation.

Bird strikes are particularly frightening during peak migration seasons when millions of migratory birds are flying between their wintering and breeding grounds. We are currently in peak fall migration. Full fall migration typically starts mid-August and goes through November and spring migration is from March through mid-June, peaking in late April through mid-May.

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Bettina Arrigoni

The scariest part though is that nearly 3 billion birds have disappeared from North America since 1970. That’s one out of every four birds gone from the face of the earth. And bird strikes aren’t the only threat to birds. Climate change, habitat destruction and pollution are also putting pressure on many already threatened bird populations around the U.S.

So, are birds dangerous?  

Birds are not generally dangerous to humans. Birds can be just as territorial as humans though, especially when their nest or chicks are nearby. Listen for loud and frequent bird calls as you're exploring outdoors. If you spot a puffed-up bird calling from a branch or notice one swooping down repetitively near you, you may be too close to their nest! Slowly move in another direction and always respect birds’ space.

Why are birds important for our ecosystems?  

Birds are essential to our planet’s ecology, providing ecosystem services and acting as benchmarks for environmental health. Native birds are seed dispersers and pollinators, helping native plants grow and flourish. Many bird species are prey, and some large birds – like raptors – serve as predators or scavengers. Areas with diverse native birds present are assumed to be healthy and functional. When the birds are gone, the opposite is true.

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Budgora (CC BY NC ND 2.0)

Birds also increase livability and connect people of all ages and abilities to the natural world. Whether you are in a big city, on a farm or even at a grocery store parking lot, birds are everywhere!

How you can help birds!  

"The Birds” is just one example of how movies and media have falsely made birds seem scary. It’s up to all of us to change the narrative and underscore that birds should be more scared of us than we are of them. Here are five ways to help birds:  

• Reduce your light pollution. Turn off all non-essential lights at night and close your blinds to limit the amount of light emitted from your windows. This is especially important each night between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during migration seasons.  
• Break up reflections with markers. Add external adhesive bird friendly tape or stripes with white dots, spaced 2 inches apart, on windows and reflective glass. The dots break up the reflection and are visible to birds which can help them navigate.
• Plant native. Fill your gardens and backyards with native plants that can provide food and shelter for native and migratory birds.  

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Sally King/NPS

• Keep cats indoors. Cats are responsible for over two billion bird deaths every year. It’s a feline’s instinct to hunt, so you can do your part by keeping your pet where it can’t harm or kill birds.
• Spread the word on birds. Tell your friends, family and followers about the role birds play in our environment. Use your platforms to talk about the need to protect birds and the critical role they play in keeping all our ecosystems healthy.

Join Defenders all October for twists on classic horror movies. Learn about some not-so-spooky animals and the real threats they face!