Study Finds Canadian Homes Kill 22 Million Birds Annually

Posted on September 15, 2012

Canadian homes are major killers of birds according to a new study conducted by University of Alberta students. The study was supervised by researcher Erin Bayne. The students found 22 million birds die each year from colliding with the windows of homes in Canada.

The research was based on evidence gathered from more than 1,700 homeowners in Edmonton. The homeowners completed a survey where they were asked to recall fatal bird hits over the previous year. The researchers then used the Edmonton data to estimate fatal bird deaths nationwide.

The researchers say main factors involved in bird deaths include the age of trees in the yard and whether people living in the home fed birds. Bird collisions are higher when people put up bird feeders. The distance between bird feeders and the windows of homes is a factor in bird deaths.

Bayne said in the announcement that "a feeder three to four metres from a window is bad because the bird has space to pickup lots of speed as it leaves the feeder."

The researchers say some fast flying birds like sparrows and chickadees are more likely to collide with windows that are close to bird feeders. Aggressive bird species like robins are also more likely to collide windows close to the food.

Bayne also says the researchers believe many of the bird collisions with windows are due to in-flight mistakes. Bayne says, "It's called a panic flight; a bird startled by a cat or competing with other birds at the feeder may suddenly take flight and doesn't recognize the window as a hazard."

The research was published here in the journal, Wildlife Research.