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http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/attracting/challenges/window_collisions

Birds - How to Avoid Window Collisions

How to Avoid Window Collisions
Windows Can Be Deadly For Birds.
Ornithologists estimate that up to 100 million birds are killed each year
by collisions with windows. These collisions usually involve small songbirds,
such as finches, that may fall unnoticed to the ground. Sometimes the
birds are merely stunned and recover in a few moments. Often, though,
window hits lead to severe internal injuries and death.

Why Birds Collide With Windows.
It's thought that birds hit windows because they see the landscape-trees,
sky, clouds-reflected on the glass surface but do not realize that a hard,
transparent surface lies between them and that apparent open space.
Panicking birds, fleeing for cover to escape predators, are even more
likely to fly into windows.

A related problem-more annoying than lethal-occurs when birds attack
windows. It usually occurs in spring, and is due to birds' urge to defend
breeding territories. The male cardinal pecking at your window is fighting
what he perceives as an intruding male-he doesn't understand that it's
his own reflection. This territorial reaction may be so strong that the bird
may exhaust himself, but it usually doesn't result in fatal injury.

How to Help a Window Collision Victim
If you find a bird dazed from a window hit, place it in a dark container
with a lid such as a shoebox, and leave it somewhere warm and quiet,
out of reach of pets and other predators. If the weather is extremely cold,
you may need to take it inside. Do not try to give it food and water, and
resist handling it as much as possible. The darkness will calm the bird
while it revives, which should occur within a few minutes, unless it is
seriously injured. Release it outside as soon as it appears awake and
alert. If the bird doesn't recover in a couple of hours, you should take
it to a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator. Remember that, technically,
it is illegal to handle a migratory bird without a permit.

Safeguarding Your Windows For Birds
Window strikes are something you should be aware of and try to prevent,
especially if you feed wild birds in your backyard. Start by identifying
which window is the problem-large picture windows are usually the worst
culprits. Go outside near your feeders and look at your windows from a
bird's point of view. If you see branches or sky reflected in the glass
when you look at your window, the birds can as well. Can you see
through the window into the house? If so, the birds can too. Is there
another window on the opposite wall of the house? It may give birds the
illusion of a fly-through passage to the habitat outside.

Try some of these ideas to make your windows safer:
Relocate feeders and other attractants.
You can start by simply moving your feeders and birdbaths to new
locations. Bird strikes usually occur at particular windows, so moving
feeders farther away from them may solve the problem entirely. You can
also try placing your feeders much closer to the glass-if a feeder is just
a foot or two from a window, birds may still fly into it, but not with
enough force to injure themselves.

Avoid apparent visual tunnels.
Bright windows on the opposite wall from your picture window may give
the illusion of a visual tunnel through which birds may try to fly. Try
making one window less transparent by keeping a shade drawn or a
door closed, or by altering the lighting inside the house. You can also
make the glass less transparent by taping paper or cardboard on the
inside of the panes-unslightly, but a good temporary measure until
you can find a better solution.

Break up external reflections with stickers or plastic wrap.
Break up window reflections by sticking objects to the outside of the
glass. Black plastic silhouettes of a falcon, hawk, or owl sometimes
work, not because they look like predators but because they disrupt
the window's reflectivity. Semi-transparent stickers can also do the
job-some have decorative bird shapes, or look like spider webs. Sheets
of plastic food wrap may work too.

Disrupt reflections with spray-on materials or soap.
Try spraying fake Christmas snow on the outside of the window, or
drawing streaks across it with bar soap. Again, the goal is to break
up external reflections.

Attach branches in front of windows.
For a more natural look, attach dead tree branches in front of your
window. They may cause the birds to slow down and avoid the window
as they fly toward it. You can arrange the branches so they don't obscure
your view.

Attach hanging objects to deter birds.
Hang lightweight, shiny items in front of the window so they move in
the breeze and dissuade birds from approaching. Try strips of shiny,
reflective plastic (hung a few inches apart), old aluminum pie plates,
or unwanted compact discs.

Reduce reflections with trees or awnings.
Reduce the amount of light reaching a problem window by planting
shade trees close to it. This will help prevent reflections. However, it
will also obstruct your view. Trees take time to grow, so consider
shading your window with an awning instead. Either one may help
birds by reducing the amount of sky reflected in windows.

Cover windows with netting.
Place netting over the window. It provides a physical barrier to birds
flying into the glass, yet won't obstruct your view. The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology installed crop netting-the kind used to keep birds away
from fruit trees-in front of a large picture window next to our bird-
feeding garden in our original building. The result? No more dead
and injured birds. Small-mesh netting is best-ours was 5/8" (1.6 cm)
in diameter-so if birds do fly into it they won't get their heads or
bodies entangled but will bounce off unharmed. You can mount the
netting on a frame, such as a storm-window frame, for easy installation
and removal. You could also try insect screening material.

Install windows tilting downwards.
If you're installing new windows, ask your contractor to position them
slightly off vertical, facing downwards. Then the outer window surface
will reflect the ground rather than the sky and trees, but won't affect
your view from inside the house. Be aware, though, that this may void
your warranty. Your contractor or architect may have other useful
ideas about how to minimize habitat reflection in your windows.

BirdNotes--Making Your Windows Safe for Birds
Additional information is available in this edition of BirdNotes. (Requires
the free PDF reader.)
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/notes/BirdNote10_Windows.pdf

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - 8/20/08