Bird collisions with buildings are the second leading cause of death, second only to cats, according to FLAP Canada.
Executive Director Michael Mesure says one to ten birds can die colliding with a window on a structure each year.
“One of the first studies held here in Canada looked at the different causes of bird deaths by humans,” says Mesure. “And with the buildings being second, they estimated some 25 million birds are dying as a result of colliding with the glass during the day.”
He says while those are approximations only, the one to ten ratio death ratio per building can be multiplied by all the buildings in a given region to determine an estimated impact.
Mesure says estimates for North America reach 1 billion birds killed each year, adding it is an environmental disaster in the making.
“They control insect populations, they distribute seeds, they pollinate flowers, [and] play a huge role in creating a very healthy, natural environment for us as well,” says Mesure. “That aside, it’s also the bird watching industry, it’s a multi billion dollar industry.”
Mesure says there are construction techniques, and products available to help minimize the impact of glass on bird populations.
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(Photo credit: Brown Creeper/Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance)
