More birds are flying into windows in Metro Vancouver, wildlife rescue says
Program director Linda Bakker suggests wildfires have displaced rural and migrating birds
The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. says it is seeing unprecedented numbers of injured birds that have flown into windows.
In the month of September, the Burnaby rescue treated 460 injured songbirds, which it says is about 100 more than it treated in the same time period last year.
The injured birds have mostly been found in Vancouver and Burnaby, with a considerable number also coming from Surrey.
Linda Bakker, the program director of the rescue, saidone factor could be increased urbanization due to more development.
However, she also suggested the recent wildfires could have played a role.
Bakker said homeowners can reduce the number of birds striking their windows by covering the glass, or using decals on the outside of their windowsto minimize glare.
If you find an injured bird, the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. suggests carefully putting it in a shoe box and placing it in a quiet room for 30 minutes. After that, rescuerssay totake the boxoutside and open the lid to see if the birdwill fly away. If the bird still cannot fly, call the wildlife rescue.
With files from Tina Lovgreen and CBC News Vancouver at 6.