As you may or may not be aware, it’s springtime sort of, and that means is it also migration time!
Migration is already an event fraught with danger, starvation, exhaustion and a number of other perils, but one of the biggest problems faced by birds now is window collisions. Just last week, in Ottawa, ON, 40 bohemian waxwings out of a flock of 60 hit a windowed walkway in downtown. Of those, only fifteen survived to be brought to the nearby Wild Bird Care Centre, where some are still in critical condition.
Photo from Wild Bird Care Centre
SO, LETS BIRD-PROOF SOME HOUSES
Birds don’t want to be in your house. They like the forest just fine, thank you very much. But they see the reflection of trees and sky in your nice, clean windows, and don’t realize it’s not the forest. Most birds also migrate at night, making it even harder to navigate - especially in cities - with bright lights and windowed skyscrapers that function essentially like some kind of nightmarish mirror-maze right out of an avian version of the Saw movies.
In order to bird-proof your home, what it comes down to is creating a barrier that they can see - on the outside of the windows.
Some suggestions:
Hang strings of beads, weighted fishing line, or something else in vertical bands a few inches apart. Even tape works!
Use densely placed decals/stickers (yes, even those bird-shaped ones. Birds only understand “I can’t fit through there,” not “there is something allowing that bird shape to be suspended in midair”)
Use your windows as a canvas for your budding art career (actually though)
Put blinds/curtains outside the window instead of in. If they’re inside, keep them closed at night.
“Forget” to wash your windows. Let them get real dirty. Like, disgusting. Smear mud on them if you have to. (Or whitewash them)
Just get rid of windows altogether and fill your house with birds
If you happen to be a multibillionaire constructing your own mansion and reading this, consider alternative architecture to make it bird-friendly (also you should invite me to come see it to… make sure it’s… good. or whatever)
IF YOU DO FIND A BIRD WHO HAS SMACKED INTO A WINDOW: Put it in a small box or paper bag with some air holes so it can rest in the dark, and a rolled-up paper towel for it to perch on. If it recovers within an hour, take it to a nearby green space and release it. If it hasn’t recovered by that time, or has a visible injury, take it to a rehabilitation centre.
IF A BIRD IS REPEATEDLY ATTACKING YOUR WINDOW: Don’t worry, he’s fine, he’s just establishing dominance over himself