Janice Enright said she hasn’t seen a situation this bad in years.

Enright, who operates A Wing and a Prayer Bird Rehabilitation Centre north of Bracebridge, said the reports of dead and injured pine grosbeaks this fall are the highest she’s ever seen.

“We’ve had a dozen brought into the sanctuary, and three times that many people call,” said Enright. “That means there are probably hundreds I don’t hear about.”

Ironically, Enright said it’s those who are trying to help the birds that are causing the most harm. Virtually all of the injuries reported have been caused by grosbeaks crashing into windows, and Enright said improperly positioned bird feeders are the chief culprit.

“Bird feeders must be located at least 90 feet away from windows,” said Enright. “If you can’t do that then take it down altogether, or watch them with a set of binoculars.”

Enright said the birds become panicked if they feel they are under threat, and will often blindly flee into a nearby window.

“People will call in and say, ‘I warmed the bird up in my hands and he flew away.’ What they don’t realize is that he got 100 feet into the bush and died from a concussion,” she said.

Enright said the pine grosbeak population has skyrocketed in the area lately. The birds don’t migrate per se, said Enright, but they do travel to warmer climates as food becomes scarce in winter. If food is abundant the grosbeaks likely won’t leave until the temperature drops well below the freezing mark, she said.

The grosbeak is typically between eight and 10 inches in length. Males have a rosy red head, beak and neck, and a grey body, while females have a yellow-olive colour where the male has red.