What to do if a bird hits a window?
This became a question this morning, when I heard a more serious thud from a bird colliding with the clean glass pane of the window door that opens to the roof gable balcony of the adjacent small corridor.
In retrospect, it might have been better to leave the bird alone, but I didn't, and now reflecting on the incident, I end up writing and learning something about birds and windows, and also birds and animals in relation to cars. Here is the story:
After the thud, I waited for a few of minutes, hoping whatever it was would recover without being exposed to the additional shock of seeing me. Then I peeked out the window to see if the bird was still there. It appeared to be a
common blackbird and was alive, but not very lively, and as if gasping for air. Next to the bird, there was a small drop of something.
A blackbird is a middle-sized bird, so this explained the sound I heard.
I wondered if the bird needed a bit of water and went down to find a small flat cake plate, put in a mm and went up to the bird and allowed it to put its beak to touch the water. Then I took the bird down and went to find a place to set it free, but as I watched it after putting it down, I could see it was going. In general, the bird did not seem to have much movement in the head area. It was certainly very far from a fluttering bird that is eager to get on with life. Having looked more closely at the dead bird, I have found that the drop on the floor of the balcony and the brownish fluid that appeared in the water, could be from the eye that was completely damage. Before I had seen the eye, I thought the water had been in the way, but maybe not, though I think I will drop the water next time, at least it was not included among the advices I found, in order to be better prepared for future incidents,
From Wiki How:
How to Care For a Bird That Has Hit a Window
Their first point is:
Refrain from interacting with the bird more than is necessary. More likely than not the bird has sustained a concussion, in which case it should be removed from all stimuli. Anything else will make its condition worse. If it has sustained injuries to its limbs, it will require professional assistance anyway.
Then:
Be prepared. If birds frequently collide into your windows, be sure to keep on hand a towel, a small box (a shoe box is ideal), gloves, and, if possible, safety glasses
And:
Observe the bird. Often the bird will only need a couple of minutes to recover. You should stay to watch the bird and ensure that no predators attack it before it recovers. If it does not recover within five or six minutes you should be more proactive.
[2]
They mention a number of cases and options, including:
- If the bird has a shoulder injury it might be able to fly for short distances horizontally. However, it will not be able to lift its wings above its shoulders or obtain any elevation in its flight.
- Shoulder or wing injuries will require skilled medical assistance and months of rehabilitation. If the bird seems to have extensive damage to its limbs, call the local bird or wildlife rehabilitation center.[3]
- Conversely, if the bird seems unconscious the bird has sustained head trauma and will merely need a safe place to relax.
The article also says, though this may not be applied or valid for all areas
It is illegal to keep a wild bird in your possession indefinitely. However, you can keep it for a couple of hours to allow it to recover from a concussion.
In the same article, they also suggest how to prevent birds from flying into a window in the first place, also dealt with in articles, like:
Bird-Safe Windows – 10 Tips On How to Stop Birds From Flying Into Glass.
Birds can also collide with cars, which broadens the topic because:
When we wish each other a safe drive, it includes many variables, including that of surprised birds and animals.
Here are some numbers from the UK, found in
This is Money:
Zurich calculates the insurance industry pays out £63.8million a year to help customers repair damage to vehicles caused by animal accidents.
The average cost of damage is £2,400, with claims ranging from small dents and cracked windscreens, to total vehicle write-offs.
Insurance claims figures show motorists are at greatest risk of hitting a deer, making up 61 per cent of collision claims.
These are followed by pheasants (11 per cent), badgers (8 per cent), birds (7 per cent) and foxes (5 per cent).
Other animals (8 per cent) responsible for claims include rabbits, horses and dogs.
Though in the UK, birds make up 18 %. In many countries, it is probably less due to fewer pheasants. In parts of Europe there are many wild boars, and it is not uncommon to find one lying in a ditch next to the road. Though, we can only guess at what happened, consider this older article about the situation in Sweden:
HEALTH
Costly Car Collisions with Wild Boar
Published monday 28 September 2009 at 13.40
New statistics reveal that
the most expensive highway accidents don’t involve collisions with the large moose or European elk – but with wild boars.
This is explained by the animal’s more compact body weight.
The average accident with a wild pig costs about 6,000 US dollars – 1,500 more than with a moose.
Topping the list of highway accidents in this forested Nordic nation are those involving wild animals.
It is not surprise, that the concern of car insurers and driving schools are larger animals. Below are most of three articles with short notes on what to do to minimize collision with animals. They both repeat each other, but also have different ideas and perspectives, but written most likely in North America, advice has to be adapted according to the population of animals in the area one drives through.
How to prevent collisions with animals — and what to do when it’s too late
An important sentence is:
While no one wants to hurt an animal, your actions should put your life and the lives of other drivers first.
I think, if one has not put that firmly in the mind for the eventuality it happens, will one be able to act accordingly if an unexpected situation involving a bird or an animal comes up?
Here is the context and advice on how to avoid or minimize the risk.
November 3, 2021/in
Car Insurance /by
Connor McNeely
This article was originally published on economical.com.
Thousands of animal-related collisions happen across the country every year. Not only do these accidents harm our wildlife, but hitting a large animal like a deer, moose, or elk can cause serious damage to your vehicle or — far worse — injuries or even death to you and your passengers. Learn how to prevent a collision with an animal before it happens, how to minimize injuries and damage to your vehicle if you can’t avoid a collision, and what to do if you’ve hit an animal.
How to avoid animal-related collisions
Animals can be unpredictable, and it’s not always possible to entirely avoid a collision when one crosses your path. The good news is, there are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being involved in an animal-related collision:
- Be aware of your surroundings.When you’re behind the wheel, keep your eyes on the road and perform regular mirror checks so you’re always aware of what’s going on around you. Be especially mindful of signs that animals may be nearby:
- Yellow wildlife warning signs are posted near the road
- You’re driving in a heavily wooded area or near water like ponds, lakes, or rivers
- You’re driving at dusk or dawn
- Light up the night. Whenever possible, use your high-beam headlights when travelling through poorly lit areas. But remember, you need to turn your high beams off when you’re approaching another vehicle.
- Watch for glowing eyes. Many animals’ eyes glow brightly when met with headlights. When you’re driving at night, scan the side of the road for the glowing eyes of animals that may be about to cross.
- Ask your passenger to be your co-pilot. If there’s someone in the passenger seat when you’re driving, especially at night, ask them to be a second pair of eyes and watch for signs of wildlife that may be getting too close for comfort.
- If you spot an animal on the road up ahead, slow down or try to stop your vehicle. Never assume that an animal will cross the road before you approach it — and if you see one animal cross, it’s safe to assume another will be close behind it. Check your rear-view mirror and apply your brake smoothly to slow down or come to a complete stop if it’s safe to do so. Animals can be unpredictable, so try not to get too close — instead, give the animal space to cross the road. You may also want to turn on your hazard lights to let other drivers know you’re slowing down.
How to stay safe and minimize damage if you can’t avoid a collision with an animal
While no one wants to hurt an animal, your actions should put your life and the lives of other drivers first. If you spot an animal on the road and you’re too close to safely avoid a collision, take these steps to lessen the severity of the impact:
- Don’t panic. Panicking often leads to swerving, but swerving can put your life and the lives of others on the road at risk.
- Quickly check your rear-view mirror. And, if it’s safe to do so…
- Hit the brakes. Put your foot firmly and evenly on the brake pedal.
- Ease up on the brake just before you come in contact with the animal. This can help prevent it from going through your windshield.
- Steer in the direction the animal is coming from if the coast is clear. If the animal is coming from the right, steer towards the right shoulder (but be careful to avoid hitting the guardrail or rolling into the ditch). This can encourage the animal to cross the road more quickly, which will minimize the impact if you do hit it — or you might get lucky and miss it altogether.
What to do after you’ve been in a collision involving an animal
Here’s what you should do when you’ve hit an animal with your vehicle:
- Regain control of your vehicle and pull over. Only pull over if and when it’s safe to do so.
- Turn on your hazard lights. This will alert other drivers so they slow down as they approach your vehicle.
- Check on your passengers. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away.
- Try to determine if the animal is injured or dead. If it’s injured, keep your distance (injured animals can be unpredictable) and contact local animal control or conservation services. If the animal is dead, contact local highway maintenance services so they can come and collect it. You should also call 911 if the animal is blocking a live lane of traffic.
- Inspect your vehicle for damage and call for help if you need it. Call 911 if your vehicle is blocking traffic or is no longer safe to drive.
- Take photos of any damage to your vehicle and the scene of the accident. If you have to make a car insurance claim, this can help your insurance company process it.
- Call your broker or your insurance company’s emergency service line. Be prepared to provide as many details as you can to help your broker and insurance company process your claim as quickly as possible.
There was also:
Animals on the Road: 10 Expert Tips to Reduce Your Chances of a Serious Accident
1 Do not panic. Depending on the species of animal you see in the road, this could be quite a startling situation. Remember that being prepared and thinking ahead will reduce the chances of you or the animal you encounter being injured.
2 Swerving is not the best option. If you are travelling on an empty roadway at very slow speeds, swerving might be an effective way to prevent a collision with an animal. That being said, in almost every instance swerving to miss an animal on the road will cause more harm than good.
3 Slow down as much as possible as soon as you see the animal. Quickly check your rear view mirror to see if another vehicle is driving behind you. If there is no approaching vehicle, it may be possible for you to stop before your reach the animal. Do not apply your brakes so hard and so quickly that your car skids.
4. If the animal is approaching from the right side of the road, steer your vehicle towards the right outer edge of the roadway. This may encourage the animal to move across the road quicker.
5 Although no one wants to kill or injure an animal, drivers must realize that their own life and safety is more valuable than that of an animal. If a collision is unavoidable, slow down as much as possible and brace yourself for the impact.
6 If you feel that you may have hit someone’s pet, you may feel compelled to stop to check on the animal. Use caution when approaching any strange animal, especially one that may be injured. You can contact a local police station or animal control office for assistance in getting the animal the necessary medical attention and contacting its owner.
7 If the animal you are approaching on the road is a large animal such as a deer, moose, or elk, the impending impact may be more detrimental. If you have time before the impact, lower down into your seat so that as much of your body as possible is shielded by the dash board. Large animals like these often bust a vehicle’s windshield. The lower you are positioned into your vehicle, the less likely you are to suffer serious injuries.
8. (After an impact with a large animal, try to regain control of your vehicle and pull off of the road in the first safe space. You and your vehicle may have suffered damage that requires assistance. You may need to call 911.
9 After crashing into a large animal, stay inside your vehicle. An injured deer, moose, or elk could be very dangerous. Turn on your emergency flashers to warn other drivers of your accident.
10 Contact your automobile insurance agent as soon as possible to file a claim for any damage to your vehicle.
On the topic of a large animal, I heard from a family member that they had found a freshly killed male
European fallow deer, that had been seen just minutes before in a nearby forest. The animal probably struck a truck, because there was no sign of a damaged car. From what I understand, both rear legs were damaged, so there was no future life for the deer. What was peculiar was that the animal had been euthanized. The driver, or someone passing by at the same time, probably approached the deer safely as taught in a hunting school and done what needed to be done, but this was still a pretty small deer, only about 80-90 kg. If the deer had been bigger, the solution might have been different, or none at all except leaving the deer to find a slow death.
Collisions with Animals on the Road: Prevention Tactics, Reporting an Accident
Here is what you can do to avoid a collision when an animal:
Take special care around deer warning signs.
Deer have adapted well to living near humans, so you are just as likely to encounter them in heavily populated areas. If you see a deer warning sign, it is there for a reason.
Keep your high-beams on whenever it is safe to do so.
This will allow you to spot animals in the roadway at a greater distance.
Reduce your speed at night.
Poor visibility means you may not see an animal soon enough to stop.
If you see one animal, expect to see others nearby.
The Animal Protection Institute state that 70 percent of deer-car collisions happen when a driver has slowed down for one deer and then accelerated, failing to see another.
Know when animals are likely to be active.
Deer are generally on the move in fall and early spring, around dawn and dusk. In the summer they are more likely to be sighted during the day.
Be aware that animals are often more active during fair weather periods before storms.
Perhaps others have something to share?
