Saw a violet green swallow crash into a window

[smilingcat]

Happened earlier today and still can't get my mind off it. He was such a beautiful bird. My partner Id'd the bird. violet-green swallow. So small and so beautiful...

Beautiful birds, in pairs, flying joyfully in the late spring. Darting by the sidewalks, by the store windows and one made a mistake of flying into a window. It tried to avoid it at the last second but it still hit the window fairly hard. Then it fell to the the concrete sidewalk. His partner flew by few times then flew away in matter of few seconds.

I felt so helpless. I went running over and carefully scooped him up in my hands to give him some warmth from my hand. It was bit chilly today. I was careful in handling him so as not to cause additional injury. Rapid breathing, twitching of legs and tail feathers...

Had the bird smacked the window and fell on grass or onto a bush, I think it would have survived. The collision into the glass wasn't that hard. no broken bones. But dazed and the 5' fall to the concrete caused the fatal injury. I think the bird hit his head on the concrete first.

Poor thing died while I was trying to get a direction to a avian wildlife sanctuary.

Just makes me so sad. One moment a beautiful healthy bird. Next moment dying in pain.

Events like this makes you realize the precious nature of life and how fleeting it can be.

And this evening, we saw a gorgeous and bright double rainbow out of our windows. I still feel really sad for the poor guy and his mate.

here is a picture of him from a bird web site: violet green swallow (http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/195/_/Violet-green_Swallow.aspx) picture is pretty but still far short of what he looks in real life.

Be safe and peace to all,

[bmccasland]

Sometimes birdies can't see the window until it's too late. You really don't want to know the number of birds that die smacking into shiny office tower windows or power lines.

Sorry about the V-G Swallow. I've seen them dipping and diving around ponds and they really are pretty.

[zoom-zoom]

Oh, that is so sad. I have seen so many dead birds on the side of the road, this Spring. I think they mis-judge the velocity of cars. This Winter I noticed a dead mourning dove in the snow outside my eye doctor's office. There is an empty retail space next door with huge windows that reflect the sky. I don't think that bird had any clue that there was anything solid in front of him.

[Owlie]

:( So sad. I'm out of their range, so I've never seen one, but they look like beautiful birds.
I hit a sparrow once while driving (she misjudged how fast I was going and turned too late.) I still feel bad about it.

Most of our backyard birds have figured out glass or just steer clear of the house, but every so often we get one that flies into a window. Then there was the woodpecker (one of the smaller ones, not sure which species) that hit the mostly-glass bridge between two dorms...

[OakLeaf]

I need to put something on my bay window to stop the birds flying into it. :( I thought they used to sell stickers for the purpose, but I haven't been able to find any.

I've read that even when they fly away and seem to be okay, most birds that fly into windows die shortly afterward. :( :(

[emily_in_nc]

When we lived in the country and had multiple bird feeders in back, unfortunately this was all too common. I put hawk and other stickers all over the windows in an attempt to dissuade them, but it didn't help much. Many of them did survive the initial crash and eventually flew away, but whether they ended up dying later, I don't know. It always made me sad to lose one. :(

Violet-green sparrows are very pretty. It was kind of you to try to save it, smilingcat.

[ClockworkOrange]

That was so very sad to read and smilingcat, I so understand how you must have felt.

What a beautiful bird too, also sad for it's partner.

Life can be so brief sometimes for animals, especially wild birds.

[Norse]

We have a LOT of windows (46, DP counted one day whilst cleaning) and three bird feeders. A couple of things that have helped include: (1) rather than window stickers, hanging up a few glass decorations - the kind you use suction cups to attach to the window; and (2) putting our shades/blinds at different, staggered heights, especially for side by side windows. While these methods have not been foolproof, they have cut way down on the number of birds flying into the windows.