>>> Passerines have very poor depth perception since they lack binocular vision,

To add to what Jerry Blinn said, I suspect VATH and windows interact a lot
because that species is a deep-forest dweller, used to flying among trees,
and either a reflection or a view that passes through to the foliage on the
other side of the house is enough to promote a "safe passage" instinct.
Window kills tend to be of understory species for this reason. We get lots
of Swainson's and Hermit thrushes, too, and other thrushes and Ovenbirds
from the east. I've often wondered what kind of window kills one would get
in a house with big windows built in the midst of a tropical rain forest; a
rather exciting list of species, I would imagine. Robins are much more
birds of open country, and they don't fly like rockets through the
understory.

Fast-flying birds are probably in the most trouble from windows, rather
than near-sighted ones. Sharp-shinned Hawk is right up there in the top 5
of the window-kill list, with Cooper's Hawks with some frequency and even a
goshawk once. Just this year we received a Ring-necked Pheasant, and with
some frequency we get Ruffed Grouse as window kills; I didn't ask about the
condition of the windows.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416