You can prevent birds from hitting your windows.

“I bought a house with a beautiful picture window, but now I can’t stand all the birds that hit it.”

“How can I renovate my living room to include big windows and natural light, but not kill all sorts of birds?”

“I didn’t realize how many birds die at my house until I started working from home during COVID.”

Do you relate to any of those statements? You are absolutely not alone, and the good news is that there are solutions to this problem! Hundreds of millions of birds die after hitting windows in the US each year — and almost half of those birds die at houses. Below is more information about the problem, as well as a variety of solutions you can explore to find one that’s right for you home.

Birds and windows don’t mix.

Up to one billion birds die from hitting windows each year in the United States alone. That’s a staggering number. And with more buildings using more glass, more birds are dying as a result. Based on data collected from our Bird Collision Corps program, we estimate that tens of thousands of birds die in Madison each year after hitting windows.

This has been a known problem for a long, long time. The severity of the bird collisions problems has been documented in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. For example, Loss et al 2014 thoroughly examined hundreds of datasets that collectively demonstrate that huge numbers of birds die each year from hitting windows. It is the second-leading cause of human-caused bird deaths annually behind outdoor cats (2.4 billion birds/year). Between 600 and 900 million birds, and up to a billion birds, are killed each year following collisions with glass.

Unfortunately the problem doesn’t occur only at skyscrapers in big cities. The majority of bird-window collisions happen at apartment buildings, office buildings, and residential houses.

In fact, around 43% of window collisions happen at homes, and about 56% happen in low-rise buildings (4-11 stories). That’s virtually all of the buildings in southern Wisconsin.

Check out this article in the Spring/Summer 2023 Madison Audubon newsletter article about window collisions. Or listen to this great podcast for more information on why this problem exists:

Why do birds hit windows?

Simply put, their eyes are not like ours, and they cannot perceive glass. They either see reflected habitat, plants inside that look like good habitat, or in the case of windows that are in line in the front and back of the house, they see what appears to be a clear “pass-through” area. The biggest problems birds have with glass are reflectiveness and transparency.

Fortunately, window collisions are preventable, and you can be part of the solution!

The best tactics for reducing window collisions are to:

1. break up reflectiveness of windows (solution: add window treatments to the outside of the glass.)

2. reduce transparency and pass-through effects (solution: add window treatments to the inside OR outside of glass, partially close shades and turn off lights when not in use at night.)
   
   

Step 1: Take note of which windows are worst.

It is expensive and likely unnecessary to treat all of the windows in your home. Typically, just a few windows are causing the problem. If you hear a lot of thumps at one window, treat that one first with one of the products listed below — or come up with your own.

Step 2: Treat it right.

Birds are smart. Research shows that they will try to maneuver into spaces that are more than just 2” wide. That means anything you put on your windows should be spaced apart 2” or less. (This is why the silhouettes of birds don’t work, even though they look cool!) Pick a product that will fit your budget and aesthetics.

Step 3: Listen for collisions at other windows.

Keep applying window treatments to any window you hear birds hitting. It shouldn’t take long before all of the windows that are luring birds in are treated, and you and birds can live in harmony again!

Products and Projects to Make your windows bird-safe

This resource list is based off of the list provided by Lake Michigan Bird Observatory, and expanded by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.

Barriers

• Insect screens. Not a new technology, but extremely effective at reducing the reflectiveness of glass, as well as offering a buffer between the bird and hard glass.

• Bird Screen. Designed specifically to go on the exterior of windows and prevent bird collisions. Can by applied by screws or suction cups. WEBSITE

• Easy Up Shade. Designed to reduce energy loss through windows during hot and cold weather, but also effective for reducing reflectiveness (if applied to the exterior side of windows) and transparency. WEBSITE

• Bird Crash Preventer. A curtain of fishing line spaced 3” apart that covers the exterior of the window. WEBSITE

Make Glass Visible

• Dot Decals. These semi-permanent dot stickers are applied to the outside of your windows so that dots are in a 2” by 2” grid. They are very effective and human eyes quickly adjust to looking past them.

  • Available from Wild Birds Unlimited - Madison, Wild Birds Unlimited - Brookfield, and multiple online companies including CollidEscape and Feather Friendly.

  • Feather Friendly has a great how-to video for cleaning your windows and applying the dots.

• CollidEscape Bird Tape. Translucent tape that you apply directly to the glass, produced by American Bird Conservancy. WEBSITE

• Acopian BirdSavers. Paracord curtains that hang in front of the glass. Very effective and low cost. WEBSITE or VIDEO ON MAKING YOUR OWN (instruction begins at about 3:45)

• Solyx Bird Safety Window Films. Designed to apply to the exterior of the windows and offers a few different aesthetic styles. WEBSITE

Do It Yourself ideas

• Make your own Acopian Birdsaver. VIDEO (instruction begins at about 3:45)

• Use a highlighter to draw a grid on your window (interior glass). VIDEO

• Use a bar of soap to draw a pattern on your window (exterior glass). VIDEO

• Paint the outside of glass with tempera paint (exterior glass). VIDEO

• Close window shades and turn off lights at night.

The companies listed below have been contacted and confirmed that they are available to hire to install window treatments like dot decals and paracord curtains. Please contact them directly to receive a quote for your specific project. This list is intended to be a resource to you, not a list of endorsements. Thank you for all you do for birds!

Bullseye Remodeling
servicing Dane, Sauk, and Columbia Counties
Website
(608) 592-7085
xenawarczak@gmail.com

Ever Clear Window Cleaning Power Washing
servicing Wisconsin Dells area
(608) 432-9314
everclearmawi@gmail.com

Green Window Cleaning Services
servicing within 2 hours of Madison
Website
(608) 358-5596
info@greenwindowcleaning.net

KwikFixx LLC
servicing Sauk and Dane Counties
Website
(608) 643-9694
kwikfixxwi@gmail.com

THANK YOU for all you do for birds!

Banner photo: Mike Wald FCC