Bird collisions happen because birds see the world differently. Millions die from collisions with man-made objects each year.
Have you heard the “thud” as a bird hits your window? You're not alone. Every U.S. home kills about two birds each year—including long-distance migrants like Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
To birds, trees and sky reflected in glass appear to be habitat. They fly into windows at high speeds, and the loss of life is staggering. Up to one billion birds are killed by collisions with glass in the United States every year. (There are easy ways to help!)
More Turbines and Towers: More Collisions
In addition to collisions with glass, the extraordinary growth of wind energy represents a growing threat to birds. The United States now has 48,000 wind turbines installed from coast to coast, with many more planned.
Those turbines killed nearly 600,000 birds in 2012, from Golden Eagles to migratory songbirds. By 2030 or before, a 10-fold increase in turbines is expected to boost annual bird mortality to 1.4 to 2 million. Hundreds of thousands or millions more could be killed by collisions with the associated power lines and towers being built to carry electrical energy into the grid.
Other man-made structures like communications towers are also a problem, especially for birds that migrate at night. A 2000 ABC report documented more than 550 Yellow-billed Cuckoo deaths at just 17 towers.
Bird Collisions: Reducing the Threat
As part of our strategic conservation framework, we tackle the biggest threats to birds. When it comes to bird collisions, we work with manufacturers to develop bird-safe glass and provide easy solutions for homeowners. We push for wind turbines and associated power lines and towers to be placed in areas that minimize impacts on federally protected birds.
We also advocate through our Policy work for stronger local, state, and federal regulations to protect birds and other wildlife from these threats.