A Second Chance-Next Nonfiction Chapter
There is something about a bird hitting a window that stops time and demand our attention.
One moment, everything is peaceful. The next, a sharp thud echoes through the yard, and your heart sinks before you even know what happened.
That was my experience recently.
A beautiful little Lesser goldfinch had flown into one of our windows. When I found it, it was lying on the ground, stunned. After waiting a bit, I gently nudged the little bird with a blade of grass. A few moments later, it fluttered into the air.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
But my relief didn’t last long.
The goldfinch tried to fly over our fence, couldn’t quite make it, and dropped gently back down into the garden. Instead of flying away, it simply sat there, quietly resting.
There wasn’t much else I could do.
I knew that birds can become stunned after window collisions. Sometimes they recover within minutes. Other times, they need hours to regain their strength. So I decided the kindest thing was to leave the little visitor alone and let nature take its course.
As evening settled in, I checked in, to see how it was doing. The goldfinch remained in the back corner of my garden.
I couldn’t help wondering what it might have been experiencing. Was it frightened? Dizzy? Simply exhausted? I hoped the quiet coming of dusk would give it the rest it needed.
One of the things I love most about watching wildlife is that it reminds me how fragile life can be. Even the tiniest creatures face challenges every day that most of us may never notice. A single pane of glass, invisible to a bird reflecting the sky and trees, can suddenly become a dangerous obstacle.
Scientists estimate that millions of birds are injured or killed each year after colliding with windows. Goldfinches, with their quick, darting flight, are among the many species that can be affected. Fortunately, some birds recover completely if they are only stunned and are given time to rest in a safe place.
I don’t know exactly how this little goldfinch’s story ended.
I’d like to believe that sometime after it got dark, or perhaps early morning, it gathered its strength, spread its greenish-gold wings once again, and disappeared into the trees.
Whether it did or not, the encounter reminded me of something important: every small act of kindness matters. Sometimes we can’t solve every problem or guarantee every happy ending. But we can pause, care, and give another living creature the best chance we can.
And sometimes, that might be enough.
Have you ever had a bird strike one of your windows? I’d love to hear your story in the comments. Every encounter reminds us just how closely our lives are connected with the wildlife sharing our backyards.
