'Until we do it, birds are going to keep dying': Experts call for new window designs to save millions of birds

Where we live and work continues to cost birds their lives.

Windowed buildings, large and small, are responsible for at least 25 million bird deaths in Canada.

Now, a North American expert affiliated with Western University is part of a team creating a documentary about the dangers structures present to our feathered friends.

It is produced at a bird flight tunnel north of London, Ont.

The production team is recreating experiments, originally conducted by London-based PhD candidate Brendon Samuels.

Samuels has spent several years studying the threat buildings pose to birds. He told CTV News London that bird fatalities are only part of the alarming numbers.

"We know that that's capturing a small portion of the problem. A lot of these birds are suffering really bad injuries and flying away and not leaving behind a trace. And so we're probably looking at upwards of a billion for continent-wide," he said.

Some partial examples of potential window treatments to protect birds, seen on Aug. 27, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

And it's not just skyscrapers to blame.

"People associate it with tall buildings," Samuels acknowledged. "…most of the birds being killed hit low-rise buildings and residences."

But he said there are simple ways to help the bird population.

Homeowners can draw lines or even dots on their windows, provided they are within a few centimetres of each other.

They can also look at new types of windows with dots built in.

But, the documentary producers know there will be human resistance to change, including the fear of higher costs. Still, team member Richard Fadok, an anthropologist at the University of Rochester, discredits the concern.

Anthropologist Richard Fadok, seen on Aug. 27, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

"There have been several reports saying that the cost is fairly negligible, both in residential and in commercial properties," said Fadok.

Samuels acknowledges it will take time to convince window-gazing home and business owners to opt for dots or grids over clear windows to protect birds.

"Yet, until we do it, birds are going to keep dying. But, I think we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. This change is happening before our eyes. There's also now a private member's bill that would incorporate this (dotted windows) into the building Code of Ontario, which would standardize it across the province.

"I hope that is what this demonstration shows," added Fadok. "That there are forms of glass that do capture both our desire to look outside, to see a beautiful landscapes, but also to help save bird lives and to aid in the conservation."

The new documentary is slated to be released online in the spring.