How to Stop Birds from Flying into Windows?
The sound of birds tweeting in your garden is unmatched, and for many birds, our gardens are safe spaces where they can nest and find food and water. However, there is one thing in our gardens that can be deadly, and is pretty much invisible, to birds: Windows!
Window collisions are common amongst birds, and you'll often hear the garden birds' collision or notice a bird-shaped mark on your window - and when a window is sparkling clean, even humans do it sometimes. The BTO estimates that around 100 million birds hit windows per year, with around 30 million ending fatally.
If you've seen enough of these poor birds hurting themselves, here are some tips and tricks for making windows visible and to help stop birds flying into them, so they can enjoy the rest of your wildlife garden in peace.
Why do Birds hit Windows?
Unfortunately, birds don't understand glass windows. All they see is the reflection of the sky, trees, plants, and an open path, so they think that it is safe to fly through. If you have double-glazed windows, there's a greater chance of birds colliding into these produce a clearer reflection, especially at dawn and during the day when reflections are at their brightest. Nocturnal birds, like Owls, can even be confused by indoor lights at night.
We want our gardens to be attractive to birds, which is why it's so important to make a few simple changes to prevent bird collisions.
How to prevent birds from flying into Glass windows & keep birds safe?
The ultimate goal is to make the outside surface of the window highly visible to birds. We can do this by breaking up reflections and stopping the window from looking like an open path - hopefully stopping or reducing bird strikes.
Reflection Stickers
You can hang reflective tape, old CDs, or shiny objects like wind chimes near the window to help stop birds from flying into the glass. The way these move in the sun makes the area more visible, and it can be unsettling for birds so they don't head near windows. External markers must be applied to the outside of the window to be effective, as internal treatments do not eliminate the reflection.
This is a good, low cost solution, and you can use things you might already have at home!
A Soap Bar
Rubbing a soap bar across the glass creates temporary visible streaks, these marks break up reflections without blocking too much of your sight out of the window. It's a quick, low cost solution for areas where birds keep being temporarily stunning by windows.
Move Bird Feeders Away from Windows
We understand how lovely it is to look out of your window and see birds feeding on the birds seeds you left out, but bird feeders (such as this copper seed feeder) placed too close to a window increase collisions. If you have the space to, try and place feeders 2 to 3 metres away from the house. This way, you'll still have garden birds visiting, they'll just be much safer!
Window Stickers & Decals
You can get decals that are designed to be highly effective and visible to birds. They create a broken pattern across the surface so that the bird understands it is not a clear pathway. This is ideal for large windows where birds are repeatedly colliding - use multiple decals to effectively break up reflections, as a single decal is often ineffective.
Paint Patterns on your Window
You can use tempera paint to create dots or patterns on the outside of your window. They make the glass visible to birds, without affecting too much of your light. This is really good to use on windows that are facing the other side of trees, plants or reflect the sky.
Install External Shutters
For a long term solution, you can install external sun shades, shutters, or mosquito screens. This helps to break up the reflection. If you want to add something on the inside, vertical blinds with the slats kept half open or keeping curtains half open can be a great way to stop birds from flying into windows.
External screens or netting, positioned at least 3 inches from the glass, can provide a physical cushion and allow birds to bounce off safely.
One way transparent film
One-way mirror or privacy window film can be applied to the outside of glass windows to reduce strong reflections of the sky, trees, and garden that birds often mistake for an open flight path. The film still allows plenty of light into the room and lets you see out, but it dulls the mirror effect that leads to bird collisions, making the window far more visible and safer for garden birds.
Looking After Injured Birds
If a bird does unfortunately hit a window and end up injured, it can be hard to know exactly what to do to give the bird the best chance to recover.
We recommend gently placing the bird into a well-ventilated box that is lined with a soft cloth to keep it warm in a dark and quiet environment. It's best not to offer any food or water unless instructed to by a professional, as this can sometimes do more harm than good.
The most important thing to do is to contact a licensed wildlife vet, resuce or charity as soon as possible, and they will be able to help as they have the expertise and equipment to care for injured birds safely and effectively.
We have more information on how to know if a bird is injured, and how to care for it - click here to read that blog.
