According to the American Bird Conservancy, it is estimated that collisions likely kill between 365 million to 1 billion birds annually in the United States. The total number of window or glass strikes is likely far greater. In many cases, after colliding with glass, birds suffer internal hemorrhage, concussion, head and eye injuries, and temporary stunning.
How To Prevent Window Strikes in Birds: What You Can Do At Home
Birds are often drawn to windows because they are tricked by the reflections they see in the glass. Start by going outside and looking at your windows from a bird’s point of view. Do you see branches or sky reflected in the glass of the window? If the answer is yes, then that is what a bird flying by sees too. To a bird, your window looks like a good place to land or a space it can fly through.
The following are some ways you can help prevent bird window strikes at your home:
- Move indoor plants away from windows to reduce their reflection in the glass.
- Turn off indoor lights when you are not actively in the room; this can reduce reflections, make the window less inviting to the bird from the outside and is also a great way to conserve energy.
- Install and maintain screens on the outside of all windows. The screen will provide a softer surface for the bird to bounce off and reduce the likelihood of injury to the bird. This also reduces bugs in your house when your windows are open.
- You can buy or make your own window decals or stickers to place on the outside of your windows to break up the space and make it look less inviting to the bird. These can be anything, including stripes, sun catchers, dots, or silhouettes.
- Often, a single decal or sticker is not enough; they work best if there are multiple, and they are spaced close enough together that the spaces in between are too narrow for a bird to fly through. The overall goal is to create the appearance of a cluttered environment that a bird would not be able or want to fly through. You can visit Acopian BirdSavers to buy or learn how to make your own birdsavers.
Have You Found a Stunned Bird or Witnessed a Bird Strike a Window?
Often the bird will be stunned or unable to move well. You can carefully pick up the bird, using both hands, gloves, and a pillowcase, and move the animal to a dark, quiet place. Cardboard boxes with lids work well. The box you use will need adequate ventilation; to achieve this, you can use a pen to poke holes in the top and sides of the box to allow for proper air movement for the bird to breathe.
Written By: Caroline M., Class of 2027
