A large contributor to the recent dramatic population loss of birds is window collisions. The people dedicated to saving injured birds provide us with hope for their future.

Migration season is when the Chicago Collision Bird Monitors are the busiest as mother nature literally slams into the indoors. The volunteers arrive downtown before sunrise to gather birds that have flown into skyscrapers in the hours before they head to work.The unfortunate salvages are brought to the historic Field Museum, which contains thousands of colorful taxidermied skins, cryogenically frozen muscle tissue samples, and meticulously labeled skeletal remains. The ornithologists sort and catalog specimens for vital and unprecedented research.

At the Willowbrook Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, the chirping, moving bags with their pecked holes all show signs of life. Veterinarians take us through tedious exams and capturing rogue birds. The final result of everyone’s hard work is a joyful send off.