Skip The Decoy: There's A Better Way To Prevent Birds From Flying Into Windows

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Most everyone enjoys looking out their window and seeing various birds flitting around their yard. That is why people put so much effort into attracting songbirds to yards and gardens. However, these same windows also present a potential hazard for the birds, that quite often fly directly into these glass panes, in what are referred to as bird strikes. One common solution is to utilize a decoy or even decals of predatory birds such as hawks. But, if you really want to keep birds from flying into the glass, skip the decoy and add vertical lines on your window instead. Just by creating a pattern of stripes, you'll let the birds know there's an obstacle to avoid.

Although this behavior is not intentional on the bird's behalf, such incidents leave homeowners scrambling for ways to prevent collisions. The issue is actually far more common and serious than many people realize. It is estimated that as many as 600 million birds die from flying into windows in the U.S. each year. Drawing or painting narrow vertical stripes is unobtrusive for us, but invaluable for the birds. Additionally, these high-impact incidents can chip, crack, or break your window glass. The frequency of bird strikes, and their potentially devastating consequences, are good reasons you should reconsider using a window bird feeder. After all, if you are making the effort to have birds flocking to your yard, the least you can do is try to protect them from hazards around your home.

Again, birds don't fly into windows on purpose. There are a few reasons bird strikes happen. One, they cannot detect the clear glass, viewing the window as an unobstructed flyway. This can happen during the day or at night, when birds may be attracted to lights that are on in and around the house. At other times, glass windows essentially function as mirrors. When they reflect natural landscapes or sky, birds may mistake the reflections for the real thing and attempt to fly through it. Therefore, the key to preventing bird strikes is to take steps to interrupt the transparency as well as the reflection of glass windows.

One of the best ways to allow birds to recognize windows as solid objects is to add a series of vertical lines along the glass. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can use glass markers, wax crayons, tempera paint, tape, or decals. You can even use things such as paracord or bar soap. Whatever material you decide to use, be sure it is high contrast. For this reason, many people suggest white. With darker colors, make sure the lines are thick enough to be easily seen. Lines should also be the outside of the windows and no more than 2 to 4 inches apart.

The downside to this method, obviously, is that having a window covered with lines will definitely impact your viewing experience. However, white lines don't need to be thick, or you can try something like the Opticz UV marker, which creates colors that birds can see but we can't.