Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Reducing Bird Collisions

I saw this problem mentioned on a friend's blog today, and figured it was worth answering here too.  If small birds frequently hit your windows or glass doors, there are things you can try.

1) Stand outside the windows that get hit and look through into the house. If you see a direct line to another window, then the birds probably think that's an open flyway. Blocking the other window might help reduce collisions.

2) If you see a reflection of trees or sky in the window, again, birds think it's a safe flying area. Sometimes putting shade over the window will make that reflection go away.

3) Wildlife stores often sell cling-vinyl outlines of predator birds. This helps songbirds recognize that something bad is going on with that window. Or you can just trace the silhouette on black paper and tape it up there.  For best results, move the silhouettes periodically.
http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/images/raptors9-26.jpg
http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/raptors/380-identification.jpg
http://www.birdinginspain.com/images/raptor-silhouettes.png

More ideas:
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/bill_top_10_strikes.aspx
http://www.flap.org/new/prevent.htm
http://www.sialis.org/windowstrikes.htm
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1184
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/prevent-birds-from-flying-into-a-glass-door
Tags: nature, wildlife
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  • 13 comments
unmutual

unmutual

June 12 2010, 19:27:19 UTC 11 years ago

We have been thinking about making stained-glass suncatchers in the shape of hawks. Unfortunately there are two windows which we won't be able to reach (one of them is the one the bird slammed into this morning).

Thanks for the links! They will be helpful.
ysabetwordsmith

Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

June 13 2010, 02:24:15 UTC 11 years ago

Two windows you can't reach at all, from indoors or outdoors? That's awkward.
unmutual

Re: Hmm...

unmutual

June 13 2010, 02:29:54 UTC 11 years ago

Not without an extension ladder, anyway - the bottom of one is at least 12 feet from the ground and the other is small and near the 20-foot ceiling. It was one of those that the bird hit today.

We have three five foot square windows in the living room and two in the bedroom. None of them open, which is unfortunate for airflow, but the view is nice.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

June 13 2010, 02:32:47 UTC 11 years ago

Wow, that's a real pain. *ponder* Is there any kind of wildlife agency or birding club or suchlike near you? Sometimes places like that will help homeowners solve problems that are killing wildlife. Since those windows are way high up, I'd think about some of the other options like clear film or translucent frost spray to prevent reflections. That's probably something that could be done once and left in place.
unmutual

Re: Hmm...

unmutual

June 13 2010, 02:34:04 UTC 11 years ago

I can look into it, yep! We've been talking about replacing the windows (ugh, the cost) and possibly we can get ones with low reflectivity.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

June 13 2010, 02:41:48 UTC 11 years ago

Or get ones with a lattice in them, or tinted glass, or with a screen on the outside, or something like that. It's possible for birds to crack or break glass if they're flying fast enough, so there are practical considerations too.
unmutual

Re: Hmm...

unmutual

June 13 2010, 02:44:29 UTC 11 years ago

You know, as much as I don't want to kill birds with my house, putting screens on five foot square windows that don't open seems sort of... I don't know, not quite right. I'd like to find the least expensive solution with the least blocking of my view, not like one of the suggestions to put waving ribbons every 4" on the window :)
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

June 13 2010, 02:59:14 UTC 11 years ago

Then probably either the film or the least obtrusive of the matte spray would be the way to go, for the out-of-easy-reach windows. Suncatchers work pretty well on reachable windows -- my parents do that.
unmutual

Re: Hmm...

unmutual

June 13 2010, 03:04:38 UTC 11 years ago

Just to give you an idea of what we're dealing with, here's a picture. :)
ysabetwordsmith

Wow!

ysabetwordsmith

June 13 2010, 03:13:43 UTC 11 years ago

It's a beautiful house. I see the dilemma, though -- and another solution, plant trees to shade out the reflection, isn't going to help there. I think those are just so big and bright, they're always going to look like sky. Raptor silhouettes might help.

Another possibility would be to watch the birds and see if you can identify their flight path and change it, perhaps by creating an area away from the house and windows that would be very attractive to them. Close enough to see, if you like birdwatching, but far enough out that they'd be flying elsewhere.
unmutual

Re: Wow!

unmutual

June 13 2010, 03:24:33 UTC 11 years ago

We've done some stained glass work, so the idea of making raptor silhouette suncatchers is appealing. I haven't been able to figure out the birds' flight path; they're just all over the place.

I don't know if you can tell from that picture, but there are actually three trees growing up *through* the deck. Now that it's June, they're fully leafed and giving about as much shade as we can expect. So yeah, we'd have to do something to the windows themselves rather than change the outdoors.

We get two or three hitting the windows every month, but most of the little ones do survive it. I was surprised when today's bird upended and died. On the other hand, some fox or raccoon gets an unexpected snack...
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Wow!

ysabetwordsmith

June 14 2010, 03:55:10 UTC 11 years ago

>> We've done some stained glass work, so the idea of making raptor silhouette suncatchers is appealing. >>

I love stained glass.

>>I don't know if you can tell from that picture, but there are actually three trees growing up *through* the deck.<<

Wow, that's awesome!

>>We get two or three hitting the windows every month, but most of the little ones do survive it. I was surprised when today's bird upended and died. On the other hand, some fox or raccoon gets an unexpected snack...<<

Nothing in Nature is ever wasted. Unfortunately at that rate, sooner or later it's going to be a crow or a hawk or an owl or something else bigger than a songbird hitting the glass, and trying to replace a cracked or broken window up there would be a real nuisance. I hope you can find something to dissuade them.
mmegaera

mmegaera

June 13 2010, 00:02:05 UTC 11 years ago

The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, where I used to volunteer, uses those black silhouettes of predator birds on its rather large windows. The biologist there swears by them [g].