Bird-Window Collision Warbler

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.

Glass Collisions

Help Pass the Bird-Safe Buildings Act

How to Keep Birds from Hitting Windows

 

AUDUBON:

Lights Out

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.