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Coal tit

 

In recent days, there have been more and more reports in Tallinn and rest of Estonia about migrating birds flying against windows and glass facades. There have been many accidents this autumn with coal tits and other migrating passerines, but also several European honey-buzzards have been found in Tallinn. Birds collide with buildings because many species do not sense glass as an obstacle. Birds also get misguided by the sky or vegetation which is reflecting from the glass. As a result of the collision, birds can suffer a light concussion, serious trauma or death.

 

Birds colliding with glass can be avoided by making larger glass surfaces more visible to birds. It can be done by closing the curtains, gluing paper decorations on dangerous windows, marking window glass with masking tape etc. Permanent solutions include the usage of glass with low reflection factor or decor glass and covering windows with reflection-reducing plastic. It is also possible to use special glass-types which are visible to birds, for example Ornilux-glass, when constructing buildings with glass facades.

 

If you come across a dizzy bird, you should place it in a safe place, in a bush or shrub, which would also provide shelter from the sun. If the bird has suffered only a light concussion, it will recover in a while and fly on.