Cooper’s Hawk in Recovery After Window Strike

Windows don’t just pose a threat to small perching birds like warblers – raptors also strike windows after becoming confused by the reflective surfaces.

The Wildlife Care Center is currently treating a Cooper’s Hawk that hit a window in Hillsboro. The bird’s wings are droopy and it has soft tissue swelling on the top of its head. While the raptor recovers, Bird Alliance of Oregon staff and volunteers are providing it with supportive care like fluids and food. If the bird makes a full recovery, we will return it to the wild.

Scientists estimate that up to one billion birds die annually as a result of window strikes in the United States alone. At the Wildlife Care Center, we see from 200 to 300 strike-related cases each year, or roughly 10 percent of the total case load. Birds do not recognize glass as a solid object and are prone to collisions, especially when passing through unfamiliar landscapes.

Learn how you can help prevent window strikes.

Every year the Wildlife Care Center treats 3,000 injured or orphaned native animals. If you would like to make a donation to support our wildlife rehabilitation work at the Wildlife Care Center, click here.

Photo by Tinsley Hunsdorfer