# How Many Birds Have You Killed With Your Car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913 "2013-04-05T12:58:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/81 "2013-04-07T01:15:36Z")
> [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](#): > > As far as birds go, probably five. Also, best username/thread title combo ever! ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/82 "2013-04-07T01:17:05Z")
I dont drive. My parents have never run over anything. ---
**Author:** ![Gullible\_s\_Travels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@Gullible\_s\_Travels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gullible_s_Travels)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/83 "2013-04-07T05:11:35Z")
I skipped over this thread several times because I read the title as ‘How Many Birds Have You Killed With Your Cat’ and thought it was going to be a rant about irresponsible cat owners! I used to have a very irresponsible cat. As for killing birds with cars, I’ve done that too. Twice. Both of them were galahs that had been feasting on grain or something on the shoulder of the road. They have this dreadful tendency to fly off, seemingly away from the vehicle, only to double back right into the path of the windscreen. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/84 "2013-04-07T14:17:42Z")
Twice while driving cross country. Never in populated areas leading me to suspect that the birds just weren’t expecting a windshield where they found it in New Mexico & Nebraska emptiness. I did get a squirrel once, that was here in my town. Poor little guy. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/85 "2013-04-07T15:37:43Z")
Myself, none. But when I was a kid, my aunt hit one with her van – either a quail or pheasant, I don’t recall for sure. We had it for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/86 "2013-04-07T16:28:32Z")
There’s only one confirmed bird kill in my driving memory. One time Mrs. J. and I were cruising along a two-lane South Dakota road in our Dodge Omni (a vehicular menace if there ever was one), and a sizable bird whacked into the front of the car, becoming stuck in the headlight assembly and flapping grotesquely there until we could stop and detach it. Mostly though, we’ve concentrated on [small tasty mammals](http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2966425-Uncle-Scott-s-Road-Kill-Burgoo?full_recipe=true). ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/87 "2013-04-07T17:52:59Z")
I have hit at least 10 while flying pipeline patrol. My Dad hit a hawk then ripped open the wing. While flying at 11,500 in a Cessna 180, I hit something that left a mess at the top of the windshield. While flying, they really get your attention. Ask Sully. In a truck at night in rain we hit & killed an owl that dived into us. In vehicles I have killed many birds, a couple of dogs, snakes, one Opossum, a hog that nearly wrecked us, killed a black cow at night, one dog & two birds while on motorcycles. And don’t be near me in lightning storms. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/88 "2013-04-07T17:58:58Z")
I have 35 confirmed road-kills. Only about half a dozen weren’t birds. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/89 "2013-04-07T18:29:43Z")
One for certain, & two “noises” that are possibles. ---
**Author:** ![Courk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Courk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Courk)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/90 "2013-04-08T00:47:03Z")
I’ve only hit one bird, but it did happen my very first time driving a car on a road, so I was 100% on bird hits for a bit. It was a robin. I was going _maybe_ 5 mph. It swooped in front of my car and became an ex-robin. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/91 "2013-04-08T12:11:37Z")
Just one, but it was a _really_ big buzzard. We were driving up to the Sierra Nevada’s to do a little hiking and we topped a rise in the road and hit it. It made quite a mess and busted a headlight, which we got fixed at a local gas station. We also notified a park ranger, just in case this was something that needed to be reported. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/92 "2013-04-08T17:41:05Z")
Nature will win in the end. It has already been shown that swallows nesting under highway bridges have evolved shorter wings. This allows them to take off and maneuver more quickly making your vehicle nothing more than a lumbering, laughable monstrosity. Bwahahahaha!!! Proof of the survival advantage comes from the fact that the number of roadkill deaths has steadily declined since the 80’s despite an increase in the number of birds nesting in these areas. The [original article](http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729095.600-birds-evolve-shorter-wings-to-survive-on-roads.html) I read was in the March 23rd New Scientist here but requires a subscription. Here is another freely available [article](http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/18/17358863-swallows-evolve-shorter-wings-to-avoid-cars-study-suggests?lite). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/93 "2013-04-09T00:58:58Z")
None with my car, but I hit one on my motorcycle (or did he hit me?). I was riding to work and one swooped down across my path and hit my chest. I stopped to see if it was OK, although I don’t know why because it wasn’t like I was going to take it to the vet. It was sitting on the ground still alive but looking kind of dazed. Not sure of his final fate. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/94 "2013-04-09T01:24:28Z")
None. They have too much sense to get into a car with me… ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/95 "2013-04-09T07:07:38Z")
Two, one was a stupid chicken that ran under my VW and got smashed by the left rear tire. The other, I have no idea what it was. It kamakazied into the same bug’s windscreen, at 45MPH it made quite a loud bang. It then tumbled under the duels of the semi beside me. On a motorcycle, I hit a duck with my chest at about 55 MPH. It landed on the seat in front of me where it rested until I stopped to get my breath back. It rested with me for about five minutes before I set it on the ground. At that point it flew away. I had a black and blue chest for about a month, I swear! My ribs hurt for a very long time, months! I hurt just remembering that. I once had a golden eagle dive bombing my cessna 172 while my family was with me. I think that I may have invaded his nesting area. I banked right and flew down and away form him. He let me go. A friend once hit a mallard duck with the 182. Messy! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/96 "2013-04-09T15:05:53Z")
Years ago as a teen, I was riding my motorcycle and a small bird (most likely a sparrow) hit the faceshield of my helmet. It stunned me, but I kept control. Bird was dead on the road when I found it. I then continued my ride to the airport, hopped into a plane with my dad, took off, and a short time later, crashed the plane. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/97 "2013-04-09T15:54:12Z")
Nailed one on the freeway. He was chasing a bug. I think I got the bug as well. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/98 "2013-04-10T19:30:38Z")
I have always been amazed that they manage to get out of the way 99.9% of the time. I’ve hit at least a couple, though. The most memorable was the time I just heard a _thump_ but didn’t see anything. Got home and had to dig him out of the grille of the truck I was driving (it was an 80’s pickup with a very blunt/square grille). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/99 "2013-04-10T19:59:23Z")
Do we count pigeons? If so, a couple. None others. ---
**Author:** ![festiva76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e8cbc/32.png) [@festiva76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/festiva76)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913/100 "2013-04-12T19:58:57Z")
Only one. The damn thing landed in the middle of my lane and I was attempting to drive over it without running over it. He decided to fly up at the last millisecond and my bumper hit him. I remember seeing feathers fluttering by the window. Stupid-ass bird. Must be hanging out with those indecisive squirrels too much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-birds-have-you-killed-with-your-car/654913.md?page=6)