How to Keep Birds from Flying Into Windows
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That sickening thud against the window. Most of us have heard it. You rush over, heart sinking, hoping the bird only stunned itself and flew away.
Sometimes you're lucky. Other times there's a motionless bundle of feathers below the glass.
As a bird photographer, I find that especially heartbreaking, and if you're reading this, you probably want it to stop happening at your house too.
If it eases the guilt at all, know that window strikes kill hundreds of millions of birds every year in the US alone. The good news is that you can take steps to prevent these collisions with some simple changes to your home.
Why birds fly into windows
Before jumping to solutions, it helps to know why this happens at all. Forget the cartoons, where a bird turns its head to look at something and flies smack into the glass. Collisions generally come down to one of three reasons:
The mirror effect
Birds don't understand glass. When your windows reflect trees, sky, or landscape, a bird takes the reflection for the real thing and flies straight toward it.
This is especially true of modern energy-efficient windows, which are highly reflective. They're great for your energy bills and not so great for birds.
See-through illusion
Sometimes birds look straight through your house to windows on the opposite side and think they can fly right through.
Got corner windows or a glass walkway? That's where this tends to happen a lot, because a bird can spot vegetation on the other side of the glass and think it has a clear flight path.
Territorial behavior
During breeding season, some birds attack their own reflections in windows. Robins, cardinals, and bluebirds are the usual suspects.
Each one thinks it's defending its territory against a rival bird, and it can exhaust itself in repeated attacks on the "intruder."
Best solutions for preventing window strikes
Apply window decals or stickers
Those little hawk silhouettes you see on windows? They work, though for a different reason than most people think.
Birds don't steer clear because they fear a predator. The decals break up the reflection.
The catch is spacing. You need multiple decals, spaced no more than 2 inches apart. One lonely hawk sticker? It won't cut it.
I'd generally recommend decals with UV coatings, which are visible to birds and nearly invisible to humans. They stay effective without turning your home into a kindergarten art project. (Unless you're into that, of course.)
Install external screens or netting
External screens or netting, placed a few inches in front of your windows, create a buffer that cushions a bird if it does fly toward the glass. Screens also cut down on glare and can even lower your cooling costs in summer. Win-win.
Use window films
Window films are another option. You apply them to the outside of the glass, where they reduce reflectivity while still letting light through.
They come in patterns ranging from nearly transparent to decorative, and the designs were inspired by testing what birds can see and avoid.
Create soap or tempera paint patterns
Need a quick, temporary fix during high-migration seasons? Paint patterns right on your windows with tempera paint or soap. It's cheap and effective, and it washes off easily.
Kids will probably love helping with this one. They get to make patterns and help save birds at the same time.
Adjust your blinds and curtains
Leaving blinds half-open or curtains partly closed breaks up the see-through effect, which can significantly reduce collisions, particularly in spots where birds can see straight through your house to vegetation on the other side.
Seasonal considerations
Extra vigilance during migration
When do you see the most window strikes? Spring and fall migration.
Birds are traveling through unfamiliar territory then, and they may be exhausted, which makes them more vulnerable to hitting windows, so plan on extra precautions from March through May and again from September through November.
Night lighting
Many birds migrate at night, and bright lights can disorient them. If you're in a migration path, it's a good idea to draw your curtains after dark.
Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights during peak migration seasons helps too, since it avoids attracting birds, and it saves some money on your bills at the same time.
Winter window protection
During the darker winter months, the contrast between your warm, bright home and the dark outdoors makes your windows particularly dangerous for birds. Closing your curtains or blinds after dark makes them safer.
Final thoughts
Preventing window strikes takes a bit of effort. It's worth it.
Each window you modify could save bird lives every year, and every simple change you make protects birds and helps preserve the wonder and beauty they bring to our world.
Getting more interested in watching birds safely? Check out my picks for the top bird photography lenses for capturing great images from a respectful distance.
And if you want to show off your bird-friendly philosophy, the bird-themed apparel collection is the perfect gift, from you to you.
So the next time you're sipping your morning coffee by the window, you can enjoy the birds outside instead of worrying about them, and they can go about their bird business without your windows getting in the way.
