Wild Rescues

Twice in the past week I've been startled by the unwelcome yet distinctive thud of an unfortunate bird hitting our glass patio doors with significant speed and force. Both times, I've found the victims -- pine siskins -- dazed and limp on the concrete. And both times, I've been able to create a happy ending to what could have been a tragedy.

Window collisions are no rarity for backyard birders, but a swift and compassionate reaction can help the birds survive if they are not too gravely injured. With both of these birds, they were still obviously breathing, though disoriented and severely stunned. The first managed to flap his wings weakly, while the second could only sag against the concrete, his bill the only thing keeping his head off the ground.

With the cold, windy weather we've had recently, I couldn't leave the birds outside. I grabbed my bird rescue box -- a sturdy, spacious cardboard box prepped with a newspaper lining -- and a pair of garden gloves, gentle picked up the bird, and placed it in the box. Lowering the lid to give it darkness and quiet, I kept the birds sequestered for nearly an hour each, checking their condition several times to be sure they were recovering. When the birds appeared alert, active, and anxious to be on their own again, it was time to let them go.

The first pine siskin was quiet, even as I took the box out to the now deserted patio to release him. He peered up at me from his cardboard sanctuary for a few moments, then gently lifted off and fluttered to a nearby tree. He stayed around the yard for some time, getting a drink at the warmed birdbath and rejuvenating himself with black oil sunflower seeds from the open platform.

The second siskin, a guest in my office just this morning, was more active and eager to be away. When I opened the box carefully (and I don't dare lift the lid completely) to check his condition, he flitted out into the office, heading first for the wide mirrored closet doors that were reflecting the large curved window, then to the window itself. He flew back and forth between the two several times, anxious to leave but unable to fly away. Fortunately, the window screens are still off for the winter, and I was able to open one side of the window for him to make his exit. He alighted in one of the quaking aspen trees in the front yard for quite awhile to get his bearings.

This shows that even birds of the same species have vastly different temperaments and will react differently to similar situations. I'm just glad that I was able to successfully aid both birds, and that they are none the worse for their brief respite in my box and my office. Of course, it was a thrill to have the little darling free in my office, it is even more of a thrill to set free a bird you know you've helped recover.

Head Games

Remember to vote in the October poll: What types of feeders do you use?

While it is never nice for a bird to collide with a window, it is good when birders can help them recover from the impact and fly on their way again. One evening a few days ago, a male house finch collided with our patio doors (the window clings have helped, and we're going to put them up with less distance between them to be more effective), stunning himself badly. He fell to the patio chair, where he clung to the netting and hung there, dazed.

To ensure he was all right, we went around the chair to see if he reacted to our presence, but he didn't at first. Wearing gloves -- always a wise precaution with wild birds, particularly those who may be injured -- we plucked him off the chair out of fear that his talons may have become entangled. I held him for several minutes, gently and quietly, just keeping him safe from falling or flying again into the glass doors. Gradually he became more aware of his surroundings, hopping a bit on my arm and eventually fluttering down to the concrete, where he was much more wary of our presence. After a few more minutes, off he flew.

What a privilege to help a sweet bird at such close range, to interact with him in this way. Window collisions are a fact of birding, but they don't always have to be tragic. If a bird is dazed after a collision...

1. Do not startle the bird or otherwise excite it; if they are aware enough to flee from your attentions, they should be fine.
2. Keep them still and quiet, ideally in a loosely closed paper bag or cardboard box where they can recover. Don't forget air holes!
3. Check on them after 10 to 15 minutes and release them if they are alert and active. If they are not, keep them still for another 10 minutes.
4. Do not offer them feed or water; stillness and quiet is the best remedy.

These gentle ministrations won't always be effective and there will be times where dazed birds are injured more gravely than we realize. Nonetheless, not all collisions have to end poorly, and the opportunity to share a moment with our feathered friends should never be taken for granted.

Clinging to Safety

As more and more birds frequent my feeders, the hazards of window collisions with our glass patio doors grow more insidious. To deter such tragic accidents, over the weekend I installed Whispering Pines window clings to the interior surface of the doors. Birds have a wider visual spectrum than humans, and the white clings will appear to them as white materials would to humans under black light -- the bright, glowing white is an unmistakable symbol that this surface is not passable. I chose the leaves pattern so it blends in well with my home and sense of aesthetics, though there are several bird patterns available as well. They are quick and easy to install, and I have already seen two birds -- a broad tailed hummingbird and a house finch -- flying toward the window yet veer away as they noticed the clings. Should this simple addition to my backyard bird habitat prevent even a single bird's demise, it is an investment well worthwhile.

There are, of course, other options to deter birds from hitting windows and glass doors, and I use several. The patio furniture is placed in front of one of the doors to minimize airspace where birds could gain enough momentum to cause themselves injury; any barriers like this can be helpful. Feeder placement is also crucial: a feeder or birdbath should ideally be placed no more than three feet from a window or glass door, or if it is further in the yard, it should be at least twelve feet away (further is better). The former placement restricts how much speed birds can gain before they would accidentally hit a window, and the latter placement gives them enough room to manuever and avoid obstacles once they are in flight.

I highly encourage all backyard birders to invest in some method of control to reduce window collisions and needless bird injuries; these simple adaptations can help save the lives of our avian friends.

Memorial, Revisited

Sadly, another tragedy has struck, this time the victim being a male house finch who, in a fit of aggressive pique and fluttering, struck the patio doors not hard, but at such an angle as to cause devastating injury. A brief flurry ensued and a moment later, he was flying without wings.

It is a sad moment but serves to demonstrate the absolute necessity for protective measures. I have investigated different options and will be taking the strongest possible steps this week. As more birds are attracted to the bounty of my back yard buffet, it is apparent that this may become more of a concern and necessary measures must be taken. When the landscaping is resolved feeders will be slightly better positioned (they are already close to optimal), but in the meantime the windows must be concealed.

Until the protective films can be applied, I've positioned chairs immediately inside the glass doors to help disrupt the reflections that may cost more precious birds their lives. While this is not an ideal solution, any small assitance may save a bird, making it more than worthwhile.

Fly free, little finch.

Memorial

Sadly, feeding the birds is not always pleasant. Today, during the evening dinner rush, a female sparrow tragically collided with our patio door (plain glass), and seemed to break her neck in the collision. She didn't suffer, certainly, but the accident puts a pall on the joys of backyard birdfeeding. All backyard birders should be aware of the consequences of both highly reflective and clear windows -- both can be lethal for birds. They may be unaware the the window is there if it is so clear they can see through it, or they may see trees and plants reflected in the window that they believe they can fly to.

Studies indicate that as many as 100 million or more birds may perish as a result of window and building collisions each year, either immediately from the impact or shortly thereafter from injuries received during the collision. To prevent these accidents, backyard birders can do many things, including...

• Using soap, tape, whitewash, stickers, or other reflectors to break up the expanse of glass so birds are aware of the window. CollidEscape is a material that creates the appearance of a solid wall without obstructing the view - it is more expensive, but well worth the investment.
• Keeping feeders either very close to windows or greater than 10 feet from windows - if the feeders are close, birds can't gain the momentum necessary for an injury collision, and if the feeders are further away, they can avoid the glass more easily.
• Install exterior shutters, blinds, or netting to keep birds from contacting the glass. This has the distinct drawback, however, of obstructing the view and keeping you from enjoying the pleasures of winged visitors.
• Keeping windowscreens on windows throughout the year. While this cannot prevent collisions with patio doors, it can prevent window collisions.

I plan on installing CollidEscape as soon as possible to prevent other such accidents. It won't bring back the sparrow that has been lost, but today has been a lesson that won't be forgotten. For more information about bird window collisions and preventing such tragedies, I recommend this article from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as well as a detailed account from WildBird Magazine.

Fly free, little sparrow.