How do you know if a baby bird needs help?

See this link for guidelines from the technicians of the Wildlife Division of the Secretary of Green and Environment of the City of São Paulo.

Collisions with glass panes

Bird collisions with glass are very common in cities, and it is estimated that millions of birds are killed worldwide every year by collisions with glass windows in buildings, vehicles, and other structures.

When a building's facade is too transparent or mirrored, birds cannot see the physical barrier or become confused by the reflection, and thus end up colliding with it.

Here are some tips to avoid this type of accident:

• When choosing glass, avoid mirrored sheets, which are reflective. Opt for models that are not completely transparent, that have some type of texture or screen-printed lines, or even apply stickers to the surface.

• Flower boxes on windows are also good options. By attracting birds, they prevent them from flying directly into the windows.

• Curtains and blinds add color to the glass panes, making them opaque and more visible to birds.

• A practical and decorative way to avoid these accidents is to attach patterns or designs to the windows at a distance of 5 to 10 cm to prevent birds from colliding with the glass, as they will then be able to see the decoration.

Access this document from the American Bird Conservancy for more tips.

Accidents caused by birds

Another common bird-related accident occurs at airports, where these animals collide with airplanes. More than half (54%) of the collisions involve unidentified birds, and among the identified birds, the Southern Lapwing (13%) and the Black Vulture (9%) are the most frequently affected. According to data from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa), Brazilian civil aviation recorded 1,540 bird-aircraft collision incidents in 2012 alone.

In most cases, birds are attracted by accumulated and improperly disposed-of garbage from communities surrounding the airport. Reducing the presence of birds in the airport area in an environmentally responsible manner is a guideline from Infraero to prevent these occurrences.

Different techniques are used by airports to minimize bird strikes. At Galeão Airport, for example, falconry is used, as well as in Joinville, Pampulha, Confins, and Porto Alegre. In Belém, the technique currently in practice uses dogs to scare birds away from the airport area.