[Tweeters] Peregrine vs Kingfisher -Birds vs Glass

[Mark Borden via Tweeters]

Hi K,

 I would love to see the video.

I have had 3 coopers brought to me (over the last 20 years) after window
strikes, that were immobile in cardboard boxes(2) and a pet
carrier(1). Each time I gently placed the hawk on the floor of one of my
mews (hawk/falcon enclosures) and the next morning they were fully
recovered and quickly flew out the door when I left it open. Several owls
were not so lucky, and had signs of pupillary asymmetry, and did not
recover.  It is always worth moving the bird gently into a cool, quiet
place that is safe and inaccessible to predators.  There is often not much
more to do than that, unfortunately.

The damage is variable depending upon speed and angle of impact.  The worst
injuries happen when the hawk/bird intends to fly in one window and out
another.  If the corner of the house/building has two windows, and the “fly
in one and out the other” scenario is likely, then birds can be saved by
using a drape or series of bird stickers on one window. Reflective coating
helps, since it eliminates the “fly through” and a bird will put on the
brakes to avoid crashing into an identical bird!  The downside is
territorial assault upon a reflection…

With a single window the hawk will almost always brake somewhat reflexively
and decrease the impact to survivable speed.

Mark Borden MD
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