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clairdo2_gw

birds hitting windows

clairdo2
17 years ago

I don't know what forum to ask this on so i'll try this one. since we built our solarium birds are hitting the windows and sometimes kill themselves. I don't know if they see their reflexion or why they're diving at the windows but I wish there was a way to stop it.Anyone ???

Comments (6)

  • lisa11310
    17 years ago

    Go over to the bird watching forum. There have been lots of suggestions there. They dont see the window, just the reflection of the sky or trees. You need to break up the reflection. I just now heard a bird strike and jumped up to see a sharp shinned hawk on my patio, I got to the victim (gold finch) scooped it up and have it resting in a covered bird cage. He surly would have been lunch had I not gone to see what hit the window which scared the hawk off. I have the leaf stickers that are almost invisible on my sun porch windows and that has kept the window strikes down (except when a hawk is after them).
    Somone in the brid watching forum will have the link to items that you can put on your window, I cant seem to find it. Also if you find a downed bird you can gently scoop it up and place it in a paper grocery bag placed out of harms way so it can regain it's abilities (sometimes takes an hour or more) but many are able to fly away after some recouping time. I cant tell if this one is going to make it or not, but I have a call in to the rehabber.
    Lisa

  • cantstopgardening
    17 years ago

    Lisa's information is correct about the bird in a bag. A shoebox with air holes also works. The key is to place it in a protected spot where a cat or dog can't get the bird while it is recovering.Make sure it is released as soon as it is well, so it doesn't hurt itself trying to escape.

    What you can do for the bird strikes is buy or make a couple of hawk silhouettes to place on your windows. We have many large windows on two sides of our living room and we were having many goldfinches strike the windows until we found out about the predator bird silhouettes years ago. Stores that carry bird feed will often carry them, or you can cut your own from black construction paper. The shape is that of a diving predator bird. Unfortunately, this also keeps the birds form coming as close to your house as well, but well worth it in my opinion to save their lives. We haven't had any bird strikes since we put up a couple of silhouettes on the side the birds were hitting, and we had been hearing the 'thump' and finding about two dead birds a week before that.


    In our case, this also helps with keeping the birds away form our two pet dogs, as the windows where the silhouettes were placed also are on the side of the house where we have a dog run, so the silhouettes are also serving to keep the birds out of our canines reach as well.

    Best of luck with it.
    Jean

  • harleylady
    17 years ago

    Get some WindowAlert static cling decals. I got mine at a local bird supply and they are fabulous. They come in different shapes (hummingbirds, leaves, etc.) and they reflect UV light which birds can see but people can't. They are barely visible on your window so are not as intrusive as construction paper silhouettes. My heart would sink everytime I heard that thunk but now I can enjoy feeding the goldfinches and other birds close to the house without feeling like I'm luring them to their death.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Window Alert bird protection.

  • bob64
    17 years ago

    The decals worked well for me.

  • cfancher
    17 years ago

    I have the WindowAlert decals on several of my windows and they cut down the bird collision incidents by at least 90%. They have been on my windows now for going on two years and still look great and work well. The have saved lots of birds lives! I purchased these from Songbird Garden. When I inquired into the decals they emailed me with lots of valuable information. They also offer other bird window collision decals such as the Warning Web from Droll Yankees and the Bird Guard static cling hawk sillouettes. I hear these also work well to help prevent window bird collisons. I decided to order a 32 pack of WindowAlert decals and gave them a try on three windows that birds were frequently crashing into. I have friends in Canada who ordered these decals from Songbird Garden, so I know they ship there. You may want to email them to ask. I'll post their link.

    Clay

    Here is a link that might be useful: Songbird Garden Window Collision Devices

  • njhb
    17 years ago

    I use white acrylic paint mixed with a little liquid dishwasing soap and large stamps on my patio door windows to prevent birds from hitting the panes. I use white paint hoping not to mislead hummers and other birds to a color that might attract them.
    In the summer months I use large 4-5 inch flower stamps. I place the images 7-9 inches apart and concentrate on the upper half of the pane. For the winter month I use a poinsetta stamp motif.
    The addition of the soap allows you to use warm water and a paper towel for easy removal.