Every year, over a billion birds die due to bird collisions in the United States due to glass collisions, with nearly half of the deaths occurring in buildings that are low-rise and have reflective windows.
Why Do Birds Get Attracted to Glass?
Birds are unable to identify glass and fly towards the reflection of sky (bird collisions) and vegetation, or end up deviating from their course as a result of luminous man-made lights at night. According to NPR, birds can collide with the glass at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.
What is the Death Toll?
Research conducted in the year 2025 by the scientists who looked into the birds brought mistakenly for rehabilitation purposes showed that around 60% of the birds died cause of bird collisions before they could be rehabilitated, which resulted in even above one billion fatalities annually. Most of the collisions happen at homes and low-rise buildings instead of tall skyscrapers.
What Solutions are Effective?
Patterned, frosted, or fritted glass, various window films, and turned-off lights during avian migration are some of the available solutions. The states of Washington, Illinois, Minnesota and Connecticut have laws in place against bird fatalities, while park zones and rooftop gardens are designed keeping the birds in mind.
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