Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Blue-headed Vireo

The difference oxygen and anti-inflammatories can make!

This Blue-headed Vireo is a great example of why window-struck birds NEED to receive prompt medical attention.

On intake this bird was obtunded (severely lethargic) and unable to stand, holding their eyes closed, even while being handled—a clear sign this bird was not feeling well, and a common sign we see with head trauma.

This bird was also having difficulty breathing, and blood was found coming up from the windpipe—indicative of bleeding into the lungs, and likely elsewhere. They spent multiple days in our supplemental oxygen caging before they were stable enough to be moved to normal hospital caging.

Many people believe that window-struck birds simply “need some time” to recover before attempting to release them, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Studies show that the vast majority of birds that strike windows suffer from some sort of traumatic injury that, without treatment, will often result in death later even if they’re able to recover enough to fly away initially.

At our hospital, we’ve seen it countless times—a bird comes in after hitting a window relatively reactive and alert and capable of flying, but within hours, they’re obtunded and suffering from clear signs of traumatic brain injury and internal bleeding.

They are often at their worst 12-24 hours AFTER the strike, if they survive the strike at all.

If you find a bird that has struck a window, do NOT attempt to release them—instead, place them IMMEDIATELY into a small box with a lid, place them somewhere warm, dark, and quiet, and call your nearest bird rehabilitator ASAP. The sooner these birds are able to be seen and get treatment, the greater their chances of recovery and ultimately release.

However, the best way to help is to prevent window strikes from happening in the first place. Here are printable resources for ways to prevent this that you can try at your own home:

• Window Collision Prevention
• Window Collision Solutions

You can also visit our Center to see these examples in action. Each of our windows is retrofitted with a different solution to reduce bird window strikes.

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