Every year in the United States, between 365 million and 988 million birds are killed after colliding with buildings. (Read the study.) Contrary to conventional wisdom, the greatest mortality does not occur at gleaming, glass-covered high-rises but at shorter buildings, and especially at residences.
This means that homeowners across the country have a great opportunity: By decreasing the number of birds that strike the windows of residences, they can dramatically improve the state of our birds.
Indeed, making windows safe is one of seven simple actions that scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology say will dramatically improve the state of North American’s birds.
What’s more, providing property owners with information about how to protect birds from window collisions; enacting a collision-monitoring program and treating problem windows; and registering a municipal building in the Wisconsin Humane Society’s Wings BirdSafe Business Program are three of the criteria we use to evaluate communities that want to be recognized as Bird Cities.
See all Bird City Wisconsin recognition criteria.
Listed below are links to effective products that homeowners can use to reduce the number of bird-window collisions at their home, as well as excellent sources of additional information about the subject.
Products That Put a Barrier between Birds and Glass
Easy Up Shades
Panels of solar shade screen mesh that are attached to glass via suction cups.
https://easyupshade.com
Bird Crash Preventers
A preassembled curtain of taut monofilament lines strung three inches apart and five inches from the exterior of a window or sliding-door side panel.
https://stores.santarosanational.com
Bird Screens
Transparent fiberglass black screen that hangs loosely in front of a pane of glass.
https://www.birdscreen.com
Products That Make Glass Visible
ABC BirdTape
Tape that is applied to the exterior of glass. Translucent, allows light to pass through.
Duncraft Wild Bird Superstore
https://www.duncraft.com
Acopian BirdSavers
“Zen wind curtains.” One-eighth-inch-diameter nylon cords that dangle about four inches apart in front of a window’s exterior.
https://www.birdsavers.com
CollidEscape Bird/Window Strike Solutions
Antireflective vinyl or polyester film that covers the entire exterior surface of a window. Thousands of small perforations allow light to pass through.
https://www.collidescape.org/online-store/Bird-Window-Strike-Solutions-c28724156
CollidEscape High-Performance BirdTape
White or clear tape that is applied to the exterior of glass. Small perforations allow light to pass through.
https://www.collidescape.org
Feather Friendly DIY Tape
Small white markers that are transferred from a roll of tape to a window’s exterior, leaving an attractive, unobtrusive grid of dots.
https://www.featherfriendly.com
Solyx Bird Safety Window Films
https://www.decorativefilm.com/specialty-bird-safety
How to Find a Rehabilitator
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Wisconsin Humane Society
(414) 431-6204
Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(888) WDNRINFo (936-7463)
Sick, Injured, and Baby Birds
Bird City Wisconsin
Valuable Collision-Related Resources
AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY:
Bird-Friendly Building Design, 2nd Ed.
Help Pass the Bird-Safe Buildings Act
How to Keep Birds from Hitting Windows
AUDUBON:
Lights Out and Reflective Surfaces
CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY:
Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds
FLAP CANADA:
Stop Birds from Hitting Your Windows
WISCONSIN BIRD CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP:
Window Collisions and Birds (PDF)
WISCONSIN HUMANE SOCIETY:
Preventing Window Collisions (WIngs)
Photo: This Nashville Warbler fell victim to a bird-window collision in Madison in 2020. Photo by Corliss Karasov, Bird Collision Corps volunteer. Courtesy Madison Audubon.
This list was compiled on August 24, 2021. You can help keep it up to date by reporting broken links via an email to the director.