The struggle is real. Windows pose an invisible threat to birds. The glassy sheen of a window reflects the sky or foliage in a bird’s natural environment. Birds may be attracted to the light at night and, if it’s territorial, it may try to attack the one seen in the reflection. A 2014 study published in The Condor estimated as many as 1 billion window-related bird deaths occur in the U.S. annually.
It’s hard to think of windows being bird friendly. But you can help protect winged creatures, including choosing a different type of glass. You can install a glass that is:
- UV-reflective, which looks transparent to humans but is highly visible to birds.
- Fritted, or has tightly packed dots that birds see, but preserves the view.
- Angled down about 20-degrees, reducing the reflection of trees and the sky.
- Etched with a pattern of your choosing, including one of our decorative options.
- Painted, so your artwork is visible, and birds can avoid it.
Other Bird Friendly Window Dressings & Techniques
- Screens: A mosquito screen placed outside the window can help birds see it or avoid impacting the hard surface. The screen or net should be at least 2 or 3 inches from the window, so an incoming bird bounces off it.
- Decals: Cover the glass with stickers, masking tape, mylar strips, or other items that block reflections of the environment a bird thinks it’s about to fly through. Strips of chart tape, spaced about 4 inches apart, can serve the same purpose.
- Transparent film: A one-way transparent film makes the window opaque from the outside, although you can still see out from within. It also reduces light entry, which can reduce the demand on your cooling system and your energy bill.
- Shutters, shades, or awnings: Can significantly reduce reflections or eliminate them altogether. Window World of Boston offers various types of window shutters and tilting or awning windows that can help protect birds in your area.
You can also help protect birds from the inside. Vertical blinds in a room, kept at a halfway position or more, or interior shades and curtains, can reduce reflections that put birds at risk of window impacts. This is fine if you don’t want or need daylight inside your home or don’t look out the window much. Also, turn off your lights at night, or keep curtains or blinds closed during the evening hours.
What Do I Do If a Bird Hits My Window?
When a window collision happens, it is not always fatal. If you find a bird dazed from a hit, check to see if it’s injured and whether it recovers. Call a local wildlife rehabilitator if it appears to have a broken wing or other injury to increase its chances of recovery. If the bird is unable to fend for itself or it’s too cold outside, place it in a cardboard box, with holes for air, and bring it inside to a dark, warm, and quiet location. The bird should recover after a few minutes to a half hour; open the container outside and, if the bird doesn’t fly away, get it to a wildlife specialist.
Contact Window World of Boston for a Window Installation Consultation and Estimate
Help save the beaks of our feathered friends and contact Window World Boston. Window World of Boston is the largest Massachusetts window replacement installation company. We deliver high quality products and services to customers in the Boston area from our Woburn, Pembroke, and Shrewsbury offices.
