A bird hit our window the other day. It stood dazed on the deck for a bit and died shortly thereafter. It was such a waste of a beautiful creature, and it happens several times a year, whether we’re feeding birds at the time or not. It happens in any season and it’s safe to say it happens at nearly every home. There should be something we can do. Some technology that would keep birds from flying into windows, short of eliminating them. The windows that is.

But hazards for birds are many. Windmills are a favorite target of blame, but they certainly don’t stand alone in the field of bird killers, even though they stand alone in a field killing birds. (Yes, that makes sense just read it again) The American Bird Conservancy estimated 366,000 birds died from contact with windmills in 2012, which is a pittance in the big picture. Vehicles on U.S highways are estimated to kill up to 300 million birds. Airplanes kill between 10 and 20,000 birds yearly, even though the aeronautics folks do everything in their power to avoid birds, since hitting a bird can also drop a plane. And for windows? It’s estimated window collisions cause a whopping one billion bird deaths yearly.

Humans, our homes and inventions are not the only problem for birds though. The great outdoors is a bountiful place, but it’s a tough place. Birds kill birds. Peregrine falcons, hawks, eagles, and shrikes feed regularly on birds, while crows, jays, and ravens prey on baby birds and bird eggs, along with squirrels, skunks, and raccoons who enjoy eggs for breakfast as much as you or I. Robins, everybody’s favorite backyard bird, contribute to their population growth by brooding 2 or 3 times in a single season. However, most bird species limit brooding to once. We’re leaving chickens and turkeys out of this discussion, otherwise we’d have to account for another 3 billion meals… er…deaths. Bird hunting seasons are another category not included here. But hold on, there is more.

Severe weather periodically kills migrating birds in mass. Late spring snowfalls starve out birds that migrate north early. Extended wet, cool weather in spring and early summer can be deadly for baby birds, which die from exposure. But the grand champion of bird deaths, and by a considerable margin, and this may surprise you, and it may be sitting on your window ledge right now – it’s Kitty! Yes, domestic cats allowed to range and feral cats are extremely efficient bird killers. I know from experience. Years ago, we had a cat named Starzy that routinely dropped off dead robins, grouse, rabbits, and other items on our lawn. He didn’t eat his catch, but rather, just needed to satisfy his instinct to hunt.

Thinking back, I should have done something about Starzy. I could have put a bell on him to reduce his stealth, or put a leash on him to limit his range, or maybe have his claws removed to keep him from ravaging our recliner and sofa. One infamous cat named Tibbles has been given credit for eliminating an entire New Zealand bird species, the flightless Stephens Island Wren, back in 1895. Tibbles’ owner operated a lighthouse on the island and, unfortunately, let his little Tibbles roam the island to disastrous results. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the number of birds killed by domestic cats in the U.S each year to be as many as 2.4 billion!

Of course, estimates are educated guesses and can have a wide range of accuracy, but someone took the time to work on probabilities that give us a feel for the magnitude of the issue. There are 1.5 million single-family homes in Minnesota alone, and if each sees several bird collisions in a year, the math adds up quickly. Double that number if these homes have a Tibbles running amuck. It’s a good thing we have a 20 billion bird population in the U.S. to work with. Still, birds, windows, and cats could get along better. There has to be more we can do. We can land a spaceship on Mars, but we can’t keep birds from hitting windows? Come on, science world – surely you can solve this one.

Until such time we come up with a remedy, remember Tweety Bird. Remember Tibbles. Remember your double-pane Andersons. And while we’re at it, why not remember the Alamo? It was built over 300 years ago without glass in the windows – genius!

It’s ten o’clock. Do you know where your cat is?

Leo is retired and lives in rural Cook with his wife, Lindy. He is the author of three books, She Won’t Mow the Daisies, The Cabin Experience, and Life Over Easy. Leo can be contacted by email at llwilenius@gmail.com.