One of the really sad ironies for bird watchers is that the very panes of glass which allow us to view our feathered friends might claim over 90 million birds’ lives each year according to some estimates.
While that estimate seems high, consider that while recently walking the halls here at Fremont High, I counted 12 juncos laying dead at the foot of windows in just a short section of hallway that borders our courtyards. Their lifeless forms remind us that perhaps more songbirds are killed by windows (and domestic cats) than all the natural predators out there combined.
It’s hard to eliminate the window threat as glass often acts in such a reflective way that it gives the impression to a flying bird that there is more air and trees in front of them when it’s really a hard enough object to kill them on impact.
Not all birds that fly into windows are killed. Some are only momentarily stunned, and will recover if given time and safety when immobilized as such. I would suggest care be taken if you hear a bird fly into yours and then you want to pick it up and coax it back to life or perhaps keep it warm while it recovers.
One reason is that some birds will come to their senses and literally bite the hand that feeds them. In the case of a junco, that would probably only be a minor pinch. In the case of a cardinal that I once nursed back to health, his strong beak put a major welt on my finger. Remember that cardinals make their living cracking sunflower seeds and the like; your fingers are no match.
A second cautionary tale is that sometimes well-meaning persons bring a bird inside to try to revive it, and the bird will come to and then promptly get away and fly right back into another window. Not a good equation.
There are steps we can take to try to reduce the number of birds that impact our windows, though none are totally effective.
The common recommendation is placing stick-on silhouettes of predatory birds like hawks or owls on the outsides of windows is rarely effective and even if it were, it defeats the purpose of those who like to attract and feed birds if it is effective.
Another option is to hang plants, streamers, wind chimes or other objects outside the window. Some of our science teachers — who do a great job attending to the various plants in the courtyards here at the school -- used locust seed pods and other items last year to try to deter the collisions with varied success.
The wind often plays havoc with such strategies.
Others recommend putting feeders away from windows, but that can also actually backfire because if a hawk buzzes a feeder in the yard, the extra distance gives the fleeing songbirds a full head of steam and if they then head for the window, they likely will die.
Erecting a barrier of garden netting about a foot outside the window is a possibility I’ve read about, though I wonder how many have the capability or are willing to go to that effort. Even something like a soccer net could have the desired trampoline effect if erected properly.
There also is a product called CollidEscape which may be the best choice for many.
It is a film that covers windows making them look like a barrier from the outside, while still retaining viewing function from the inside. At about $4 per square foot, it is not cheap but then again neither is bird feed.
Exterior sun shades can also reduce impacts. For more detailed information, one good site is http://www.flap.org/new/prevent.htm .
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