Hummingbirds are beautiful, delicate creatures that can easily become injured or killed by flying into windows. If you find a hummingbird that has hit a window, there are a few key steps you should take to give it the best chance of survival.
Assess the Situation
The first thing you’ll want to do is quickly assess the situation. Is the hummingbird alive or dead? If it’s alive, does it appear injured or stunned? Look for signs of heavy breathing, inability to perch, drooping wings, or bleeding. If the bird is dead, you may want to dispose of the body safely so other animals don’t eat it. If the bird appears healthy overall but is stunned, move on to the next steps.
Move the Hummingbird to a Safe Location
Gently pick up the hummingbird with both hands and move it to a nearby bush, tree, or another safe covered location. Avoid areas where cats, dogs, or other predators could get to the bird. You want to get it off the ground and pavement to protect it. Hummingbirds are very delicate, so handle them carefully and support the body fully when moving it. Be careful not to restrict breathing by squeezing too hard.
Offer Sugar Water
Make up a batch of white sugar water to offer the hummingbird. Mix 1 part white sugar with 4 parts hot water and let it cool. Fill a shallow bowl or jar lid and place it near the bird. The high sugar content provides quick energy to help it recover. This is crucial if the hummingbird hit the window due to hunger or exhaustion. Don’t use honey, which can spread disease. Only use white sugar.
Seek Rehabilitation if Needed
If after 30-60 minutes, the hummingbird is still unable to fly or perch properly, it likely needs rehabilitation. Look up wildlife rehabilitation centers in your area and call for advice. Trauma or head injuries may render a hummingbird unable to survive in the wild even if its wings appear unharmed. Let experts evaluate it and provide appropriate care. They may recommend bringing it in.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Make sure the hummingbird is in a shaded area out of direct sunlight while it recovers. Direct sun can overheat the bird and make its condition worse. Monitor the hummingbird from a distance so you don’t startle it. Check on it periodically to see if it is recovering well. If you must leave the area, try to have someone else watch it if possible.
Don’t Try Home Remedies
It’s understandable to want to help an injured hummingbird however you can, but avoid any “home remedies” or unproven methods. Things like aspirin, antibiotics, or oil have not been shown to help hummingbirds in rehabilitation studies, and may do more harm than good. Leave medication and treatments to the wildlife experts. Just focus on safety and sugar water.
Act Quickly for the Best Results
Time is of the essence when a hummingbird hits a window. The quicker you can assess the situation, move the bird to safety, and provide sugar water, the better its chances of survival. Have a rehabilitation center’s number handy in your phone so you can call for advice or bring the bird in right away if its condition is poor or not improving. Don’t delay seeking expert help if rehabilitation seems necessary.
Prevent Future Collisions
To help prevent future hummingbird collisions, consider applying decals or other markings on your exterior windows and doors where possible. This helps alert the birds to the glass before they fly directly into it. Choose decals no larger than 2 inches x 2 inches and place them no more than 4 inches apart across the window. Vertical and horizontal patterns may work best. There are many types of commercial bird-safety decals available for purchase.
Other Tips and Considerations
- Be extremely gentle when handling injured hummingbirds, as their bones are hollow and fragile.
- Use an eyedropper or syringe without a needle to drop sugar water directly into the hummingbird’s mouth if it appears too weak to feed itself.
- Mist the hummingbird with a spray bottle periodically if the day is hot and dry. This helps prevent dehydration.
- Do not give the bird food other than white sugar water, such as bread, honey, or birdseed.
- Save the number of a wildlife rehabilitation center in your phone so you have it handy in case of emergency.
- Thoroughly wash your hands before and after handling hummingbirds to avoid transferring diseases between birds.
- Keep pets away from the area where you placed the injured hummingbird to recover.
Hitting windows is a common but preventable cause of injury and death for hummingbirds. About a quarter of all hummingbirds brought to wildlife rehabilitators suffered window collisions. With some basic knowledge of what to do, you can help minimize the trauma and give the bird the best shot at full recovery. Don’t hesitate to seek expert advice and care if needed.
Step | Action |
---|---|
1 | Assess the bird’s condition and look for signs of injury |
2 | Gently move the bird to a safe covered location |
3 | Offer white sugar water for quick energy |
4 | Keep the bird in the shade and monitor it |
5 | Call a wildlife rehabilitation center if needed |
Reasons Hummingbirds Hit Windows
There are a few key reasons hummingbirds frequently collide with windows:
- They see reflections of trees and sky in the glass, which looks like a path they can fly through.
- They are territorial and aggression between males leads to in-air fights, sending one into the window.
- Young hummingbirds making their first migrations lack experience avoiding manmade structures.
- Hummingbirds get drawn to brightly lit windows at night, not realizing it’s a barrier.
Understanding why hummingbirds hit windows can help you take steps to prevent it, such as closing curtains at night, using bird-safety decals, placing feeders and plants further away from windows, or keeping exterior lights off.
Reflections in Glass
Hummingbirds see the reflection of surrounding trees, plants, and sky in window glass. This convinces them a clear path exists to fly through, when in reality it is a barrier. Hummingbirds have extremely fast metabolisms and can’t afford to waste time re-routing. Going around would force them to burn more precious calories. So they opt to shoot straight through what looks like an open path, only to collide.
Territorial Aggression Between Males
Male hummingbirds are highly territorial and will try driving other males away from food sources and nesting spots. These in-air intimidation displays result in chases and fast looping flights. If one hummingbird dives toward another that suddenly dodges, the first can easily smash into a window it didn’t know was there. This happens most frequently at feeders or flowering plants near windows, which act as magnets drawing in multiple males to defend.
Young Birds Migrating
Late summer and early fall brings an influx of young hummingbirds leaving their breeding grounds for the first time to migrate south. These youngsters lack experience navigating obstacles like buildings and windows. Unaware that glass is a hard surface, they may try to fly toward the indoor lights or vegetation and crash into the glass instead.
Attraction to Night Lights
Hummingbirds are drawn to porches and windows that use exterior night lighting. They fly toward the light but don’t realize the glass surface will block their path. Turning off unnecessary lights at night during peak migration times can help prevent confused young birds from colliding near these bright spots.
Steps for Rehabilitation
Here are some additional details on the steps to follow if you find an injured hummingbird that hit a window:
1. Assess Condition
- Look for bleeding, labored breathing, wing drooping, inability to perch.
- Listen for distress chirps or rapid breathing.
- Don’t try to force the bird to fly too soon.
2. Move to Safety
- Cup both hands gently around the bird to pick it up.
- Transfer it to a bush, tree, or porch away from dangers.
- Avoid areas frequented by outdoor cats.
3. Offer Sugar Water
- Mix one part white sugar with four parts hot water.
- Let cool and fill a shallow bowl or jar lid.
- Place it near where you set the hummingbird.
4. Monitor Progress
- Watch from a distance to avoid stressing the bird.
- If no improvement in an hour or appears injured, call for rehabilitation advice.
5. Seek Expert Care
- Research wildlife rehabilitation centers in your region.
- Call for guidance on whether the bird needs to be brought in.
- Follow their instructions for safe transfer and handling.
Preventing Collisions
To help reduce window collisions by hummingbirds in your yard, consider these tips:
- Apply bird-safety decals – Use decals no larger than 2 x 2 inches placed no more than 4 inches apart.
- Install external screens – Screens on the outside of windows diffuse reflections.
- Use ultraviolet reflective film – Some films reflect UV light visible to birds but not humans.
- Keep feeders and plants away from windows – This prevents territorial fights between males.
- Close curtains at night – Block the view of interior lights that can attract birds.
Making windows more visible through safety films, decals, or screens are the most effective solutions. This alerts hummingbirds to the glass barrier before they accelerate into a collision. Feeders and vegetation should also be kept at least 3 feet from windows if possible to discourage territorial battles.
Types of Window Decals
Here are some good options for bird-safety window decals:
- Tape: Simple tape strips or X or Z patterns work well. Use tape designed for outdoor use.
- Tempera paint: Draw simple patterns with tempera paint. Reapply after rainfalls.
- Soap or chalk: Use soap, chalk, or window markers to draw patterns. Reapply regularly.
- Decal stickers: Buy commercial bird safety decals made for windows.
Place decals on the outside surface no more than 4 inches apart horizontally and vertically. This turns the glass into a visible obstacle hummingbirds can detect and avoid. Be sure to follow instructions for exterior application and reapplying as needed.
Using Exterior Screens
Adding an external screen over your windows is an excellent option for preventing collisions. Screens diffuse and break up reflections that birds see. They also provide a soft barrier if a collision does occur to minimize injuries. Use screens with a fine mesh size that you can still see through clearly.
UV Reflective Window Films
Specialized window films reflect ultraviolet light, which hummingbirds can see but humans can’t. To us the glass still appears transparent, but to the birds it becomes more visible. There are UV reflective films made specifically for preventing bird collisions you can install on exterior window surfaces.
Caring for an Injured Hummingbird
If a hummingbird hits your window and is still alive but stunned, here are some tips for caring for it while it recovers:
- Check for bleeding – Apply gentle pressure with a cloth if needed.
- Look for labored breathing – Settling the bird in a darkened area can help reduce stress.
- Watch for wing drooping – Support the bird properly when moving it.
- Don’t try to force flight – Give the bird adequate time to rest before flying.
- Mist with water – Light misting helps hydrate and cool the bird.
- Remove nearby feeders – Less activity will reduce stress.
Handle window-strike victims with extreme care and minimize the time held. Hummingbirds have very fast metabolism and heart rates, so any activity and stress can quickly hinder recovery. Get professional rehabilitation help right away if injuries are severe or prevent normal function after a rest period.
Signs of Injury | Actions to Help |
---|---|
Bleeding from collision | Use a cloth to gently apply pressure to wound |
Trouble breathing | Move to a cool, dark, quiet spot |
Drooping wings | Support body fully when moving |
Unable to perch | Allow plenty of time before trying to fly |
Disoriented | Keep pets and activity away |
Conclusion
Hummingbirds hitting windows is an unfortunately common occurrence, often exacerbated by urban structures interfering with their usual navigation and migration patterns. But with some basic do’s and don’ts in mind, you can help a stunned hummingbird recover successfully. Remember to handle them extremely gently, move them somewhere safe, offer sugar water for quick energy, keep them cool and calm, and seek out professional care if injuries cause ongoing mobility or function problems. The faster you act, the better their chances of getting back to normal and being able to return to the wild.