Birds being killed

We humans are endangering our songbirds not only through landscape development, environmental pollution and industrial agriculture. A quarter of a billion birds die every year in Germany alone because they bang on glass panes, collide with train and road traffic or are killed by domestic cats.

Nature conservation is very popular. Everyone would agree with that. But concrete measures are something else. Our beloved garden birds, small birds with small, less efficient brains, are particularly at risk from cars. Driving slower would help a lot. And even mentioning domestic cats can lead to an outcry of indignation.

But let's keep this in mind for now: Wind power, the alleged bird killer, perhaps accounts for one per thousand of it. Even what else catches the eye, like hunting or power lines, doesn't really matter.

It's our civilization as a whole: too many roads and houses, too many trains, factories, cars, agricultural factories and lawnmowers. We cannot and should not cover every window pane with bird of prey silhouettes. And trains have to move quickly if they are to replace cars and short-haul flights. We are somewhat perplexed by these dangers to our songbirds.

So what can be done?

There is at least one thing everyone can do. We should compensate as much as we can: give the surviving birds a chance. Wild corners in the garden are extremely important and helpful. Nesting boxes, bird baths, feeding at least on harsh winter days. Wherever we can, we should give nature space and sometimes leave a weed standing. Because we humans are not alone on this earth.