Make Your Windows Safer for Birds

The Chicago Audubon office receives calls every spring from many people concerned about the bird that is “trying to get through the window.” Of course, the bird is only reacting to its own reflection in the glass. Hopefully, this article will answer many questions about this important problem -- including the most important question of all, “How do I keep the bird from injuring itself?”

Editor

Almost any home or apartment dweller has had the heartbreaking and frustrating experience of birds that have flown into glass windows and doors. Birds striking windows at people’s homes are a big portion of the yearly total of an estimated billion birds killed in the United States each year by collisions. Birds do not see transparent glass as a barrier that they need to avoid and are confused by reflective glass, thinking they see sky or vegetation or “another bird” at the surface of the window.

Non-reflective or frosted/fritted glass can protect against some collisions. Vinyl films, screening, decals, window paints, and hangings can provide varying levels of temporary or long-term protection against window hazards. See the product table below to compare some of the options that are available for making your glass areas safer for birds.

The most effective applications to windows should be on the exterior of a window or door to “make glass visible” by preventing both transparency and reflectivity. Birds will try to fly through any area of uncovered glass that is larger than three inches wide and two inches tall. This means you have to use quite a few decals or streamers to make sure the entire surface of the glass is covered!!!

Window decals such as those from Window Alert will reflect UV light that makes the windows more visible and birds will then avoid them. Streamers or banners will block an area of glass or create movement that can help birds to fly away from a dangerous area.

Hazardous glass can be temporarily covered with window paints or soaping. A decal paint can be applied with a brush or roller in stripes, free hand, or stenciled designs. The paint will dry as a window decal that can be easily peeled off. The “clear” variety of decal paint applied with a roller dries to create a temporary “frosted glass” effect.

Removable exterior screening (Bird Screen) or vinyl film (CollidEscape) are very effective ways to cover the surface of a window or door. While eliminating transparency and reflectivity of glass from the outside, CollidEscape vinyl film provides the added benefit of letting filtered light pass through its thousands of tiny perforations. While birds cannot see into the window, viewers from within can see out and enjoy close-up views of feathered visitors. This vinyl film clings to the exterior surface of a window and stands up to all weather conditions. It can be removed or last for years if left on a window.

Other tips for window safety include:

• close inside shades or blinds which will reduce transparency but not the reflectivity of a window;
• move interior plants away from a location directly against glass that may attract birds;
• bring outdoor plants or bird feeders directly against the window or patio door so that birds fly only as far as the foliage or feeder to perch without flying into the glass. Otherwise, put bird feeders more than thirty feet away from a window to keep birds a greater distance from dangerous glass.

If you find a bird that appears stunned from a window collision, put the bird into a paper bag or box or a protected area where it has a chance to recover from its injuries away from predators and the elements. If the bird has not recovered in a few hours, contact a wildlife rehabilitation center where you can take the bird for assessment and treatment.

Thanks for making the windows in your home safer for birds!

Annette Prince
Director
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors