Mary Allen
Suddenly there is a bang: if a bird flies against the windowpane, it is a shock, especially for small children. But of course, this is really dangerous for the birds themselves. We reveal how you can take care of the animals and prevent collision beforehand.
For many, brightly cleaned window panes are part of a clean home. For birds, however, this becomes a danger: For them, the panes appear as if they could simply fly through them. Especially when trees or bushes are reflected in it.
According to estimates by NABU, more than 100 million birds are said to die every year in Germany alone because they fly against window panes. Regardless of whether it is residential houses, winter gardens, office buildings, or even glazed bus stops. Many break their necks or get a life-threatening concussion. But the animals are not always dead immediately after the collision.
This is How You Help Birds After They Collide with a Pane of Glass
Therefore, you should first check whether the bird is still showing signs of life. Do you feel your breath or your heartbeat? Does the pupil shrink when you shine a small lamp in the eye? If any or all of the signs are true, the bird should rest in a sheltered place. The magazine “Geo” advises lining an old box with a towel and provide air holes. You can put the bird in it and then put the box in a quiet place that is safe from cats or other natural enemies.
The procedure does not apply if the bird is obviously injured or unable to fly: then go to the vet! Even if the bird has not recovered in the box after two hours, you should take it to the vet. When he’s awake again, you can just let him fly away.
Bird Against Window Pane: Avoid Glass Collisions
NABU gives tips so that it doesn’t get that far in the first place. Even during construction, it should be ensured that there is no view-through. Looking through occurs when there is no wall behind the glass, for example in the case of glazed corners or balcony railings. Glass that is less reflective can also prevent future collisions. If you want to do something afterward, you can, for example, stick samples on the window panes.
For this purpose, one often sees dark bird silhouettes on the panes. However, NABU describes them as not very effective: At dusk, they can hardly be seen and many birds simply fly by. Conspicuous patterns such as dots or stripes that are stuck to the outside of the window would be more helpful. In order for them to work properly, however, they should cover a quarter of the entire window area.
Man-made Hazards to Birds
Unfortunately, reflective window panes are not the only man-made danger to birds. A sad photo recently caused a stir. Shown on it: a bird that tries to feed its chick with a cigarette butt. Because there is more and more rubbish lying around in nature, many birds use plastic and other waste to build their nests. In doing so, they risk suffocating or starving to death on their part.