BIRD WINDOW COLLISIONS

American Bird Conservancy states that “More than 1 billion birds die from collisions with glass every year in the U.S. alone.” One of the leading causes of bird mortality is window collisions. We can help save birds by reducing collisions at our own homes and elsewhere. There are many ways to make our homes and communities safer for birds. Bringing our efforts into cities and urban areas requires education, advocacy and working through local legislation to make the changes needed.

Working on the individual level will empower us to make a difference in the ecosystems in our yards and neighborhoods. It’s important to start the dialogue in your communities and circles of friends to raise awareness around this issue. We don’t need to feel hopeless and overwhelmed. Fortunately, we have the wisdom and the tools to solve these issues and save birds' lives.

Since 1970, we have lost more than 3 billion birds, about one-third of the population. A study published by the journal Science confirmed this loss is accelerating. “A continent-wide weather radar network also reveals a similarly steep decline in biomass passage of migrating birds over a recent 10-year period.”

We are witnessing a massive die-off.

What does that mean to us? Even if you are not a self-proclaimed bird nerd, these statistics should be alarming to our well-being. Science goes on to say, “Birds are excellent indicators of environmental health and ecosystem integrity.”

This means that, if bird populations are struggling, the environment is also degrading. Birds are indicators of ecosystem health, and having a healthy bird population ensures overall health of our environment.

Birds matter. If the birds leave, so goes the vital contributions to our ecosystem we depend on: pollination, seed dispersal, insect control and toxin removal.

Bird window collisions are one of the leading human-caused reasons for bird mortalities. Birds collide with windows because they are unable to tell the difference between a reflection of vegetation and open sky from the reflections in our windows. The link below demonstrates this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r94KCnTBG0g

They are also drawn to the light coming from inside our homes when they are migrating. Both elements can confuse birds and cause collisions that lead to death or exhaustion from flying around our urban landscapes trying to navigate our developed areas.

Exhausted birds may also try to rest in unsafe areas, making them vulnerable to predation.

If you’ve ever experienced the tragic “thud” on a window, you know how devastating these deaths can be. Most birds who can fly away are actually injured and don’t survive. These tragedies can be easily remedied with changes to our homes, from our lighting options to choices for windows and shades.

Reducing window collisions offer various solutions. Acopian BirdSavers are cords that hang outside your window and can be installed and removed as needed. Other companies offer similar products like Bird Crash Preventer and CollidEscape. Feather Friendly Decals offer another option to be applied to the exterior of windows. According to their website, the decals are 95% effective in reducing collisions. American Bird Conservancy has scientifically tested and approved this product. Solyx Bird Safety Window Films are another great option. They donate 3% of their proceeds to American Bird Conservancy. The Portland Audubon and Portland Bureau of Environmental Services have shown a 94% reduction in bird window collisions after windows of a city building were retrofitted with these safety films. They have a wide variety of simple, sleek film designs and some decorative options. Companies like Window Alert offer decals like pinecones, birds and plants to decorate in a fun way and improve safety for birds. Here are some other options.

Fritted Glass: small ceramic dots baked into the glass surface, creating patterns birds can detect and avoid.

Tempera Paint: get creative with washable window paints; be sure your designs are spaced no further than 2-inch by 2-inch apart across the majority of the window to be effective

External Shading Devices: awnings, overhangs and external blinds can reduce reflectivity, especially when the sun is low. Note: this method is not as effective as the others.

Birds need our help more than ever to rebound from this devastating die-off over the last generation.

Imagine the return of a chorus of bird song in our yards, parks, schoolyards and forests again. We have the capacity to shift the tide away from mass mortality to a world rich in diversity of species and bird song.

Let the next generation be reflective of their resilience and their capacity to overcome challenges.

Will you be a steward to the environment we share and help birds recover?