Windows: The Invisible Danger

From broken bones and beaks to severe head and spinal trauma, a window collision can have catastrophic results for a bird. Some birds are killed outright during the impact, and those that are only temporarily stunned may be taken by predators during their recovery period or die of internal injuries later. Colliding with a window is one of the most common injuries in birds, affecting everything from tiny songbirds to hawks and owls.

Northern Saw-whet Owl injured by a window strike

Windows often look more like mirrors reflecting their surroundings, including vegetation and open sky. This is confusing to birds, and they fly at full speed into the glass, completely unaware of its presence. Sometimes the birds see themselves reflected in the glass, and if it is breeding season, they may attack their own reflection as if it were a rival bird.

Birds may also strike windows that have no reflections. If you have windows in your house that are situated directly across the room from one another, it may create the appearance of a tunnel. A bird looking through the transparent glass will only see the vegetation or sky at the far end of the “tunnel” and may attempt to fly through it.

There, however, are steps that we can all take on our properties to ensure that our windows are not posing an excessive danger to the birds with whom we share our space.

 

Making your windows safer for birds

The most appropriate method will depend on a number of factors including the size of the window, the suspected cause of the window strikes and your own personal preference.

Preparations

1. Begin by walking around the outside of your home and inspect your windows from different angles at different times of the day. Windows that reflect bushes, trees or sky pose the biggest threat.
2. Check to see if any of your windows make the tunnel effect. If a window has no reflection, but another window is lined up perfectly with it on the opposite side of the house, a bird may see this as a travel route.
3. In addition to the visual inspection, you should listen to what the birds are telling you. If birds have struck any of your windows in the past, you can be certain that the windows involved represent problem areas.

Northern Flicker recovers from a window strike at PAWS Wildlife Center

 

Make the windows more visible

• Stick window decals or other decorations on the outside of the window.
• Make stripes on the window with bar soap or UV liquid.
• Use anything else that will tend to disrupt reflections and cue birds into the presence of a solid object.
• Hang a colorful windsock, shiny foil or mylar strips, aluminum pie plates or other objects in front of the window. These objects will both obscure the view of the window’s reflective surface and provide distracting movement that may deter birds from coming in closer.
• Use CollidEscape tape on windows

Bird netting

• Does not obstruct your view.
• Is commercially available at most lawn and garden shops.
• Can be stretched tight over a wood or metal frame and then placed over the window.
• Does not eliminate reflections, so birds may still fly at the window.
• There needs to be enough space between the net and the window to prevent a bird from coming into contact with the glass when it impacts the net.
• Change the environment around the window
• Trim back branches or shrubs that are near the windows this may reduce reflections that would attract birds.

Black-headed Grosbeak recovers from a window strike

 

If you find a window strike victim, follow these steps:

1. Prepare a holding container. Select a container (with lid) that is large enough to hold the bird and add air holes. Place a paper towel (or similar) in bottom for traction and absorbency.
2. Place bird in holding container. Cover the bird with a linen, gently pick up the animal, and place in the holding container. Remove the linen once the animal is in the container. Keep the container in a warm, dark, and quiet location.
3. Decide when to head to a rehabilitator. With every window strike, there is trauma to the bird, but the severity of the trauma varies based on numerous factors. Since every case is a bit different, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Use the guidance below to decide when to bring the bird to hospital for care.

Bring the bird in immediately if any ONE of the following are true:

• The bird is larger than a closed fist.
• The bird hit a window in King or Snohomish counties.
• The bird has any of the following symptoms: gasping for air, bleeding, broken bone, or wound.
• Sunset is less than 1 hour away.
• If you can’t bring the bird after a one hour delay (center closing soon, have to work, etc.)

Otherwise wait one hour and follow these instructions:

Take the container outside and remove the lid. If the bird flies off, they have recovered. If not, we recommend bringing this animal to PAWS Wildlife Center for evaluation and potential rehabilitation as soon as possible. If we find no treatment is required, we may ask you to return the animal to where you found it. We do not have a field rescue or transportation service and rely on members of the public to capture and deliver wildlife to our center.

For more tips:
15 Products that Prevent Window Strikes