Tips to Prevent Birds from Crashing into Windows

Tips to Prevent Birds from Crashing into Windows

We’ve all seen or heard a bird fly into a window, and while bird collisions are nothing new, the problem is increasing.  Because of widespread urbanization, trends that favor larger panes of glass in both residences and commercial construction, and more reflective coatings on glass, bird crashes are on the rise. 

The birds are either fooled by the transparency of the glass, or they believe the reflections they see in windows (trees, sky, bushes, etc) are real, and sometimes die trying to get to them.Unfortunately window collisions kill millions of birds every year, but there are several easy ways to prevent the crashes.

There is a wide range of commercial products available for this problem, and the DIY solutions are endless.  There are some concerns with curb-appeal, and most of the solutions out there offer a subtle way to help without making your home look ridiculous. 

Make windows visible to birds

Change things outside

· Window screen or a light net: Attach this at least 2-3” from the window. When the screen or net is taut, birds will bounce off (imagine a trampoline) without getting caught.

· Tape strips: Attach strips of chart tape on outside of window—either 1/4” vertical white strips (spaced 4” apart) or 1/8” horizontal black strips (spaced an inch apart).

· External shutters: Close them whenever windows aren't in use.

· External sun shades or awnings: They will eliminate or minimize reflection and transparency.

· Soap or paint patterns: Paint patterns on the outsides of windows with soap or tempera paint (which can be wiped off with a sponge but won't be washed away by rain). You can find stencils and tempera paint at art and craft supply stores.

· Decals and wind chimes: Place them closely together so that the spaces between them are no more than a 4” wide by 2” high. You can find decals at art and craft supply stores.

· Move feeders and baths: Place bird feeders and baths either within 3 feet (too close for a collision to be fatal) of windows or more than 30 feet away (birds will be more likely to recognize that windows are a part of the house).

· Bug screens year-round: If you have modern dual-pane windows, you can leave screens up all year to provide cushioning if a bird hits the window.

· Whitewash: If your shed or basement has windows, consider whitewashing them.

Change things inside

· Vertical blinds: Keep these halfway (or more) closed.

· Shades and curtains: If you you aren't looking out the window or don't need to let in daylight, keep these closed.

· Lights: At night, turn off lights or else close curtains or blinds.

· Bird proof your windows: There are attractive, cost-effective techniques to help.

Think "bird-safe" when you build or remodel

· Fritted glass windows: The closely spaced dots of opaque glass fused on the outer surface makes them highly visible to birds, but you can still see through them.

· Angled glass: If you position windows downward (20 degrees), the glass won't reflect sky and trees.

· UV-reflective glass: UV-reflective glass, such as Wallkingdon glass is visible to birds and transparent to humans

· Etched or sandblasted windows: You can have any pattern etched or sandblasted onto the glass. (This is most effective if the areas that don't have a pattern are no more than 4” wide or more than 2” high.

How to help a bird who has flown into a window

· Gently cover and catch the bird with a towel and place her in a paper bag or cardboard box (with air holes) that is securely closed.

· Keep the bird in a quiet, warm, dark place, away from activity.

· Check on the bird every 30 minutes, but don't touch the bird.

· If the bird seems to recover, carry the container outside and open it. Then step back, remain quiet, and see if the bird flies away. If she doesn't fly away, carefully take her back inside.

· If the bird doesn't recover within a few hours, but is still breathing, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

Wallkingdon Glass offers not only one of the broadest selections of architectural, decorative, and specialty glass, but we also offer services that allow our clients to do more with glass. If you want to get high quality glass and the cost effective solutions while keeping quality to highest level, send an email to enquiry@wallkingdonglass.com, we will have the valuable input and creativity of glass design experts to help you.