We all love nature, and the sight of colorful birds and their chirping is a beautiful sound. Collision with buildings is among the leading causes of bird deaths, and window surfaces pose a significant danger. Birds see the glass as something they can fly into because it reflects the natural habitat or the habitat is visible through the glass.

The number of windows in commercial and residential buildings is so great that up to a billion birds crash into them each year. The bird may seem stunned and fly away but is likely to die later due to bruising or internal bleeding sustained.

You can, however, use simple home remedies to reduce how dangerous your windows are to flying birds significantly.

What causes birds to collide with glass windows?

There is extensive use of glass in buildings due to its aesthetic value, versatility, and light ability. The widespread use of glass poses a significant danger to birds due to increased collisions.

There are two types of bird-window collision: daytime and nighttime. Daytime collisions occur when birds see the reflection of vegetation and the sky or see through the glass and think they can fly through to the other side.

Nighttime collision happens because the lighted windows attract birds and mainly occurs to nocturnal migrants. The lights cause the birds to divert from their original migration route, especially when the weather is foggy.

Due to the reflective nature of glass, sometimes the birds see their reflection in the window and attack it. Birds are territorial, and this frequently happens during spring. The bird does not get hurt when attacking its reflection, but it can be annoying and cause damage to the glass.

How to identify dangerous windows for birds

Most homeowners realize that birds rarely crash into all their windows, and identifying those that pose the most significant danger is a great place to start. Identifying this small number of windows means that you need to apply bird-friendly solutions to a small portion of your windows.

Pinpoint any windows where you have ever found a dead bird or heard a bird hit. Large picture windows that are highly reflective, paired at right angles or near bird feeders and birdbaths, are a priority.

Simple ways to keep birds from crashing into your windows

• Use tape strips

Putting strips of chart strips on the windows will help the birds distinguish between the glass and other areas. The tape strips will warn the birds to keep away. Place quarter-inch wide strips four inches apart in any pattern of your choice. You can purchase bird tape designed for this purpose.

Using tape strips is a cheap solution, and you can remove them at any time.

• Use bird screens and bird netting.

Bird screens consist of transparent black fiberglass hung loosely in front of windows to cushion birds that crash against them. The screen protects the bird from dangerous impact. You can use suction brackets or screw hooks to secure the bird screen to a window or door.

Bird netting is lightweight polypropylene, and you can use it to keep birds out of open spaces or roof spaces. The netting will act as a barrier that stops the birds from hitting the window when hung at least two inches from the glass. The mesh size should be small to trap the birds and help the birds bounce off it.

• Apply anti-reflective films

Anti-reflective glass films reduce the transparency and reflectivity of windows but allow light to pass through. They should cover the exterior part of the window to be effective.

You can also apply patterned glass art that decreases glare, reflections and removes the illusion of a clear way through.

• Install sun shades

Sunshades outside your doors and windows will block the sun and reduce the transparency and reflectiveness of the glass.

• Use external window shutters.

Installing external window shutters will keep bright sunlight out of your rooms and help you keep the birds from getting hurt. The shutters reduce the light and thus, decrease the transparency and reflectiveness. Keep your external shutters closed when away.

• Hang bird feeders and birdbaths at a safe distance

Ensure to hand birdbaths and bird feeders a safe space away from the windows. Place them at least 10 feet away from glass surfaces to ensure their momentum does not cause them to crash.

• Use bird-friendly lighting

Remove unnecessary lights to reduce nighttime bird collisions. You can use shielded fixtures, choose down-lighting instead of up-lighting, install motion sensors and timers to ensure that lights go off at set times.

• Buy bird-friendly glass

The most effective way to ensure bird safety is to buy bird-friendly glass with a UV reflective coating and unique engraved patterns visible to the birds. The glass is transparent to humans; therefore, it does not affect the quality of light.

Conclusion

Bird collisions cause millions of birds to die each year, and glass windows significantly contribute to these fatalities. However, there are simple ways to prevent birds from crashing into windows. You can use tape strips, bird netting, anti-reflective films, sun shades, and outside window shatters to reduce the transparency of glass. You should hang bird feeders and birdbaths safely from windows and use bird-friendly lighting to keep birds from flying into the glass.

You can also install bird-friendly glass that warns the birds off. Buy quality glass for your windows and doors from Glassupply.com, which will not crack when birds peck or crash into it.