Did you know that colliding with a window is one of the most common injuries in birds? Windows often reflect an image of a bird’s habitat, including vegetation and open sky, causing them to fly at full speed into the glass. From broken bones and beaks to severe head and spinal trauma, a window collision can be catastrophic, or even fatal, for the bird.
These juvenile Cooper’s Hawks are among many birds that have recently been brought to Tucson Wildlife Center after striking windows and not being able to fly away afterward. The first photo of the hawks shows them shortly after arriving at TWC, unable to lift themselves off the ground. The three pieces of tape on their tails is a technique the wildlife care team uses to keep birds that are temporarily unable to fly from inadvertently breaking or fraying those feathers which are essential for flight. Luckily for these two, with medication, physical therapy, and time to recuperate and recover, they were released back to the wild (see video).
Tucson Wildlife Center would like to encourage residents to take steps to ensure their windows are not posing a danger to birds. Curtains, blinds, and applying decals or painting patterns with tempera paint on the outsides of windows are easy ways to reduce collisions. For more tips on making your windows safer, visit our website at https://tucsonwildlife.com/prevent-birds-from-crashing-into-your-windows/.
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Two pictures and the video below!
